Become a Partner

Over the last two decades, the world has enrolled millions of previously out-of-school children in primary school.  But attendance has not improved learning outcomes. In many resource-limited countries, over 50% of Grade 2 students are unable to read a single word of a short text or perform two-digit subtraction. See the UNICEF document. This is because the School systems are not well-designed to address the needs of students. For example, throughout school, children are grouped according to age and are often moved to new grades regardless of learning level. Teachers often use a prescribed curriculum, which frequently disfavors students who are not yet at that learning level, and they fall further behind. See the World Bank article. Here is a “normal” reading lesson plan illustrating the gaps in the learning sequence. 

Children who miss key concepts in their early grades often struggle to catch up, no matter how many years they remain in school. As a result, the efforts and investments made by governments, communities, and parents to get children into classrooms end up wasted for millions of learners.

Explicit personalized learning changes this trajectory by tailoring instruction to a child’s actual learning level rather than their age or grade. This approach ensures that children build strong foundations in basic literacy and numeracy, often achieving these essential skills before they complete primary school.. See Poverty Action lab article.

We often meet children who desperately need support that the school system simply cannot provide. Many are eager to learn, but without extra help, they fall further behind. Although our service costs are affordable to middle-income families, 1 in 1,000 low-income families can consistently afford them. This means most children who need help the most are left without it. To reach these underserved learners, we run free community-based literacy camps, and the turnout is always overwhelming. Children line up with hope in their eyes, but due to limited resources, we can only serve a fraction of them. Turning children away is the hardest part of our work.

This is why we launched our Child Sponsorship Fund, a year-round initiative that ensures:

• Highly subsidized learning support for single-income and single-parent households
• Completely free services for children from the poorest families
• Early literacy and tutoring support changes the trajectory of a child’s life

Your partnership can make the difference between a child being left behind and a child finally getting the help they deserve.

With even a small, consistent contribution, you can give a child the gift of hope, confidence, and a brighter future.

How to become a partner.