Five African initiatives focused on improving access to education during COVID-19 have each received a US$170 000 grant.

The African Publishing Innovation Fund (APIF) selected the winners from 311 applications from 26 African countries. According to ReliefWeb, the initiatives will collectively help 11 million young Africans.

In Ghana, where only 70% of school-age children have access to online earning, the Learners Girls Foundation supports 400 at-risk Ghanaian girls in the small rural community of Paga to continue their education and access resources despite technology and internet connectivity challenges.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, eKitabu is working with publishers to improve the remote learning of more than 9 million students and teachers, providing them with accessible digital learning materials. The initiative plans to scale up to 12 African countries.

Save the Children Rwanda is training 270 librarians in eight community libraries on the use of technology and is providing digitally accessible reading materials in the official language of Kinyarwanda to keep 1.6 million children reading while they are unable to attend school.

In Dunga, central Zanzibar, Book Aid International is transforming three shipping containers into fully equipped libraries, where children can read and study for exams, and adults can learn new skills.

Zimbabwean poet Chirikure Chirikure is leading a project to build a modern community library in Nemashakwe that will provide 800 students and youth access to books, a place to study and computer programmes to improve their life skills.

16 March 2021
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