World Literacy Day; The Fyen Way

When it comes to education, Jileng Kunda Project believes that children deserve the best. So, we work to identify vulnerable government and community schools that are in desperate need of restoration. We take time to understand the unique needs of each school community we support and create lasting and robust foundations for generations to come. 

Literacy is one of the best ways to impact education in Africa, and influence the continent’s development. Statistics show that the literacy rate for sub-Saharan Africa was 65 % in 2017. This is one third of the people aged 15 and above who are unable to read and write. Literacy is key to communication, learning, and a necessity for active participation in today’s knowledge-based societies. In the absence of literacy, people are excluded from access to, and the use of, knowledge, and even from the most basic information they may need for daily life.

September 8th was World Literacy Day 2020, celebrated by so many around the globe in creative ways and so did Jileng Kunda Project. Our favorite Publishing Company Fyen partnered with us to celebrate World Literacy Day with a twist. We celebrated all month long, bringing light to literacy around the world and the communities we support. Fyen is a producer and provider of African inspired entertainment and information for children of all ages. They seek to develop creative and innovative experiences that will excite, amaze and educate children of the varying yet beautiful aspects of the African continent. Their portfolio of brands capture the essence of African history, culture, traditions and it’s people.

“The Fyen brand started from our frustration with the lack of diversity in children's media: the depiction of African characters as only wildlife animals and no princess to call our own. It boils down to controlling our own narratives and images of ourselves in the world. Storytelling is one of the most important traditions humans possess to influence, shape beliefs and behaviors. We could not exist without the values, the wisdom and the courage shared from past generations through the art of storytelling”.

- YaAdam Nzima, Fyen Co-Founder

Fyen partnered with Jileng Kunda Project to donate their books to Gambian children in The Gambia, with a pay it forward event called the Buy One, Give One Book Donation Drive. For every book purchased from Fyen in September, Fyen donated one to Jileng Kunda Project. Jileng Kunda Project will distribute all donated books to several schools across The Gambia focusing on the most remote and rural schools. 

We are so grateful for this partnership with Fyen and look forward to future collaborations. Thank you to all the donors who were inspired to take action and make an impact on literacy in The Gambia. 

Learn more about Fyen and experience the magic of Africa here

Thanks for stopping by. See you next time.