This year, we celebrate the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day. As Humana People to People, we are proud to join others in marking this milestone. Founded in the 1970s and growing out of a progressive education movement, we continue to support communities in becoming literate. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, we are committed to ensuring that education transforms lives.
Literacy is a fundamental human right that enables individuals to access other rights, achieve personal freedom, and uphold dignity. It goes beyond simply reading and writing; literacy involves understanding, interpreting, creating, and communicating effectively. This fosters critical thinking, discerning credible information, and navigating complex situations. Despite efforts to recognise literacy as a human right, the UNESCO 2025 report highlighted that 251 million children still struggle to acquire basic literacy skills.
Insufficient literacy skills increase individuals' vulnerability, hinder their livelihoods, and block their ability to benefit from digital transformation, interpret the world around them, and pursue lifelong learning. To achieve universal literacy, we must invest in well-trained, supported educators who can develop programmes tailored to specific contexts, ensuring that those lacking basic skills are not left behind and can break free from marginalisation.
Our member ADPP Mozambique, through the project Enhancing Teachers' Resilience and Well-being in Disaster-Prone Areas, is strengthening resilience and promoting professional development, motivation, and responsiveness. It provides in-service and student teachers with adaptive, digital, and environmental pedagogical skills, along with psychosocial support, to help them feel more confident, prepared, and supported. The project has established School Disaster Risk Management Committees that collaborate with local authorities to ensure that education continues even when schools and communities are affected by floods, cyclones, and other emergencies.
In 2025, the project has empowered over 900 teachers, established 60 School Disaster Risk Management Committees with 1,371 trained members, and distributed emergency kits to enhance schools’ preparedness and response capabilities during crises. It has also established self-help groups to continue exchanging experiences, teaching strategies, and disaster coping mechanisms. The initiative fosters collaboration, mutual support, and professional resilience across the Namacurra, Mocuba, and Nicoadala districts, focusing on safeguarding infrastructure, empowering teachers, and creating safe, resilient learning environments using locally sourced materials. In addition, the project ensures social inclusion by engaging all education stakeholders, regardless of gender, education level, or socio-economic status, to promote inclusive learning environments for children with special educational needs.
To create an environment in which students develop passion and personal drive to learn, our member DAPP Malawi, under the project UP scaling Child-Centred Teaching in Malawi, has introduced the TRIO system, a pedagogical innovation for foundation learning, in selected rural public primary schools, while building teachers' capacity to effectively manage larger classes with diverse educational needs. The project has supported the implementation of Malawi's National Education Policy (2023–2030) through strengthened teacher capacity, enhanced school leadership, active community participation, and evidence-based monitoring across 40 primary schools. This has improved learning outcomes among learners in the targeted schools. Learners participate more actively in lessons, demonstrating improved critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative learning skills.
As we commemorate International Literacy Day, let us commit to making literacy a central and inclusive element of educational transformation. Literacy empowers individuals to become active citizens, foster community development, and reclaim their dignity and personal freedom.
