Skip to content
CODE-Badge-94%_4_sm

HOW CAN CHILDREN LEARN TO READ WITHOUT BOOKS?

We know that books are a powerful tool in the fight against illiteracy – no matter where you live. Yet in many communities in Africa where CODE works, students will never have seen children’s books or any books at all.

9-year-old Alex Abiaza smiles as he reads a book in the library at the Mlali Primary School, Mlali B Village, Kongwa District, Dodoma Region, Tanzania – 11th November 2015

With over 50% of children in the developing world not learning how to read and write properly, children’s books are urgently needed! As are well trained teachers able to engage classrooms of young readers and learners.

Your support is helping us stack library and school shelves with colourful and engaging children’s books. Over the course of our more than 60-year history, we have delivered millions of books into the hands of children eager to learn. These books are:

  1. Written and illustrated by local storytellers
  2. Age appropriate
  3. Culturally-relevant
  4. In languages children understand
  5. One wide-ranging topics

A Peek Inside Our Favourite New Children’s Books

Growing Big! Growing Strong!

Written by Sallieu Sall, Isha M. Kaira, Walter Davies

Illustrated by Christopher Obuseli Parkinson

The Mango Mountain

Written by Watchen Johnson Babalola, James V. Dwalu, Llord Aidoo, and Mohammed Foboi

Illustrated by Brima Wolobah

SUCCESS STORY

YOU ARE HELPING GET GREAT BOOKS INTO THE HANDS OF CHILDREN DERTERMINED TO LEARN

We are excited to share that we've just concluded distribution of 216,350 books developed by local authors and illustrators in Sierra Leone. These books, distributed to 260 local schools, focus on a variety of girls' empowerment themes and were developed for grades 4, 5 and 6 students. From experience, we know that books can be powerful and appropriate tools for sharing important knowledge of girls' rights and informing young people’s attitudes and habits. These books contained 200 colorful illustrations and over 43 engaging stories.

CODE-ImpactSheetGraphic-01

“The simple act of being able to read and write is truly transformational when we stop and think about it. It provides us the ability to learn. It enables us to communicate. It empowers us to advance. It elevates us all.”

 – Peter Mansbridge, CODE Ambassador and former chief correspondent, CBC News

Peter Mansbridge

TOP FIVE BENEFITS OF BOOKS

AndyPowell_9206-2

LITERACY

Books that are interesting and appropriate to a child’s reading-level and language are essential to building foundational literacy skills that will allow children to succeed in school and beyond. If children have not mastered basic reading skills by age 10 they are unlikely ever to learn to read.

9-year-old Alex Abiaza smiles as he reads a book in the library at the Mlali Primary School, Mlali B Village, Kongwa District, Dodoma Region, Tanzania – 11th November 2015

KNOWLEDGE

Books and other reading materials are a gateway to knowledge. And knowledge, in turn, allows people to make healthy decisions, to be self-sufficient and to prosper. Whether fact or fiction, books can be a powerful tool in building knowledge over the course of a lifetime.

IMG_0196

CONFIDENCE

Seeing oneself positively reflected in a book – whether it’s through gender, ability or ethnic background - can strengthen identity, feelings of confidence and self-worth. This is why CODE books, developed by local authors for local children, are so well loved.

AndyPowell_9189

CRITCAL THINKING

Books and other high-quality reading materials in the hands of students and qualified teachers can help to encourage critical thinking and development of other 21st century skills like problem-solving. These are skills that will benefit children over the course of their lifetime.

DSC03622

IMAGINATION

Books filled with engaging stories and colorful illustrations can help unleash a child’s imagination and open them up to a world of people, places and ideas that they would otherwise not have access to.

Gallery

Back To Top