The government of Zambia officially inaugurated the End-Learning-Poverty for All in Africa (ELPAF) campaign, titled “Read, Write, Count: Foundation4Life,” in Lusaka on Thursday.
The campaign aims to increase the number of children who can read, write, and perform basic math by the age of 10.
Its ultimate goal is to ensure that every child in Africa has access to quality foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills by 2035.
Mr Douglas Syakalima, Zambia’s Minister of Education, who spoke on behalf of President Hakainde Hichilema, noted that Zambia was the first country to launch the continental campaign.
He emphasised the urgency for political leaders, policymakers, development partners, and communities to address the issue of learning poverty among African children.
Syakalima stated, “The launch of this campaign underscores the importance we place on foundational learning and our commitment to advancing education in Zambia.”
He added that the campaign aimed to highlight deficits in literacy and drive action to ensure all children acquired literacy, numeracy, and essential social and emotional skills.
Prof. Saidou Madougou, Director of the African Union’s Department of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (ESTI), spoke on behalf of the African Union Commission.
He highlighted the broader impact of the educational crisis, saying that it not only affected education but also all aspects of development.
Madougou noted that in spite of progress in increasing access to education, more than 90 per cent of 10-year-olds in the region struggled to read simple texts or performed basic math tasks.
He emphasised that the issue undermined their potential as active citizens and economically productive members of society.
Dr Nejmudin Bilal, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Zambia, lauded the timing of the ELPAF campaign, noting that it aligned with the global recognition of the importance of foundational learning.
He stated, “By addressing learning poverty today, we lay the foundation for a brighter future for our children and our nation.
“Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and foundational learning is the first step on this journey.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the African Union (AU) established the ELPAF campaign during the September 2024 conference on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), in partnership with UNICEF.
This initiative is designed to mobilise resources, expertise, and political will to tackle the learning crisis by enhancing foundational learning across Africa.
It supports the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), aiming to expand cost-effective approaches to improve early childhood education and foundational learning, ultimately leading to quality basic education.
The ELPAF campaign will foster high-level policy dialogue among regional and continental education stakeholders in AU member states through expert conferences, teacher capacity-building workshops, South-South cooperation, and school competitions.(
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