Aimed at eradicating adult illiteracy, the School of Alphabet offers evening literacy classes to individuals unable to read and write, primarily serving uneducated and underserved older women.
The Background
UNESCO reports that approximately 40% of Angola’s adult population faces illiteracy, a challenge deeply rooted in social and economic obstacles. These include inherited patterns of illiteracy, limited access to educational facilities, and school dropout at a young age. While significant strides have been made towards gender parity in education access, a notable disparity persists, with male illiteracy at around 20% compared to a much higher rate of 46% among females. Additionally, Angola, like other developing nations in Africa, grapples with the issue of unregistered citizens. This group, absent from official records, is disproportionately affected by illiteracy due to their exclusion from state-provided services, including education.
The Challenge
Literacy, a fundamental human right, serves as a gateway to accessing information, exercising rights, and engaging fully in community life. Beyond being a crucial element of personal and social advancement, literacy stands out as a powerful tool for breaking the cycles of poverty and hardship, thereby enhancing the economic well-being of families across generations. Research indicates that a mother’s educational level profoundly influences her children’s developmental outcomes, with children of uneducated mothers often facing limitations in their contributions to the labor market and the economy.
A Menomadin Foundation Strategic Philanthropy initiative: The School of Alphabet was founded with the mission to eliminate adult illiteracy in the Ilha neighborhood of Luanda. Photo by: Fundação Arte e Cultura
The Opportunity
The School of Alphabet was founded with the mission to eliminate adult illiteracy in the Ilha neighborhood of Luanda. Operating during the evening, the school offers literacy classes to over 500 community members, predominantly underserved women who lack formal education. The initiative was launched by Fundação Arte e Cultura (Fundação), a subsidiary of the Menomadin Foundation operating in Angola, in collaboration with the local Ministry of Education. This endeavor was initiated following a “registration campaign” at the Fundação Community Center, which registered approximately 250 neighborhood residents in the Angolan population registry. Previously unregistered, these individuals—including men, women, and the elderly—had lacked access to educational services, thereby highlighting widespread literacy deficiencies among them. The management of Fundação reached out to the Ministry of Education, which became a partner in the initiative and authorized the use of local school classrooms for evening classes.
The first cycle of the initiative was co-financed by the Fundação and the Ministry of Education, accommodating 100 students across 5 classes. The Fundação took charge of organizing teacher training and covered the costs of their salaries. The initiative was expanded in response to the positive feedback from the community. The Ministry of Education dedicated a classroom exclusively for its employees, while additional classrooms were established with funding from international companies active in the area, as part of their corporate social responsibility commitments. The initiative provides companies with a chance to make a substantial impact through minimal organizational effort and at a low cost.
The School of Alphabet Class of 2023. Photo by: Fundação Arte e Cultura
The beginning was challenging. Many individuals who had concealed their illiteracy for years found it hard to publicly acknowledge their struggle, leading some to discontinue their classes. To address the stigma, the project was renamed “The School for Life”. The curriculum was expanded to integrate literacy into daily tasks like writing shopping lists, interpreting notes from a child’s teacher, comprehending doctor’s prescriptions, or following a cake recipe. In addition to reading and writing, the program covers basic mathematics and essential life skills, including perseverance, goal-setting, and meeting deadlines. Upon enrollment, each student is provided with a school bag, a notebook, and stationery.
Each cycle of the program lasts a year, ending with students receiving an official certificate from the Angolan Ministry of Education. Now, the program has grown to include 20 classes. About half of the graduates go on to a second year, and around 30% continue to a third year of studies.
