Sasa Tunasoma, We Are Reading Project Summary

To increase literacy and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) outcomes for children ages 6-9 in the targeted areas of Uvira and Kalehe territories in South Kivu, World Vision and international partners Save the Children; Beneficent Technology, Inc.; Curious Learning; and local partners Kujitegmea Actions and Collectif Alpha Ujuvi are implementing the USAID funded Sasa Tunasoma! (“We’re Reading!” in Kiswahili) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Sasa Tunasoma! engages each element of the education ecosystem in a cohesive, coherent approach that unifies stakeholders around literacy as well as social and emotional skill building for all young children and strengthens links between the different stakeholder groups. As a result, Sasa Tunasoma! will sustainably achieve improved learning outcomes for children ages 6-9 in selected areas of Uvira and Kalehe. The project addresses cultural and social norms which are a threat to participation for many children, notably girls, Children with Disabilities (CwD), and those from indigenous Batwa communities. Based on recommendations from research findings conducted by Monitoring, Evaluation, and Coordination Contract (MECC) in 2020, Sasa Tunasoma engages parents and communities in the development of supplementary literacy and social and emotional learning. Sasa Tunasoma also engages schools in basic formal education to improve reading and writing skills and increase social and emotional learning opportunities through teacher professional development and the provision of resources.