The life-changing power of reading

Many people take the ability to read for granted. Developed nations have a literacy rate of 99% but some regions in Africa have literacy rates as low as 64%. I have a personal passion for reading and literacy as I’ve seen how it unlocks learning for young children including my own. Studies have shown the transformative qualities of reading include improving gender equality, empowering better choices about health, increasing prosperity for individuals and communities alike, and helping to promote more peaceful and inclusive societies.

When I was asked to join the board of Worldreader, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower readers at every stage of life, my answer was an easy yes. Cofounded by Microsoft alumnus David Risher, Worldreader is dedicated to advancing the adoption of digital reading and providing access to e-readers, apps, and digital books. A few weeks ago, the Worldreader board traveled to Nairobi, Kenya to see how reading is helping to change people’s lives.

Day 1: Experiencing Worldreader's impact firsthand

On our first day in Nairobi, we went to Mukuru, one of the city’s largest slums where people survive on an income of about US$1.50 a day. People in the area commonly suffer from health-related issues including malaria, typhoid, dysentery, tuberculosis, and AIDS, and many children suffer from malnutrition. Unemployment is also a serious issue: 51% of people between the ages of 18 and 35 are unemployed due to the lack of industry in Nairobi, which is why having a primary school education that can lead to higher levels of education is critical.

In Mukuru, digital reading programs are having an impact on literacy and education. We visited the Ruben Centre, a non-profit organization that provides quality education, health, financial, and social services to children and families in the Mukuru community. We were treated to some music from the Ruben Centre’s Orchestra, and we also got a chance to meet the center’s librarian, who hosts about 50 children in the center’s library every afternoon for reading and storytelling. Each child has access to an e-reader device and almost 130 different titles in English and Swahili. We were so excited to see how engaged and happy the children were. The very young children followed along with their e-readers as a teacher read aloud to them. The older children shared an e-reader and read together, sometimes in silence and sometimes aloud to each other. A teacher then leads a discussion about the books they were reading, and their engagement was incredibly high.

Day 2: Getting a glimpse behind the scenes

On our second day of the trip, we met with Longhorn Publishers, a Pan-African publishing house that partners with Worldreader to provide books from African authors. One of Worldreader’s objectives is to provide content that reflects the world that readers live in. Local publishers like Longhorn source content that’s relatable, preserves the local culture, and contributes to a strong reading ecosystem. They publish study guides, encyclopedias, and dictionaries for every educational level, in English and in other official African languages including Bantu Swahili, the primary spoken language in Nairobi. In talking to the kids, we found that they liked having books in different languages and on a variety of topics. Variety and choice are incredibly important to keep kids reading and exploring.

Day 3: Connecting with literacy influencers at the Digital Reading Summit

On day three, we attended the Worldreader Digital Reading Summit to discuss important issues including scale, partnerships, data, and urgency in bringing literacy to underprivileged areas. We heard from leaders including Joseph Wakaba Mucheru, the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, who emphasized the legislative work and infrastructure investments the government is making to support technology programs like Worldreader for Kenyans. He also discussed the importance of having access to curated content that promotes education and drives critical thinking versus social media and internet sites that may share fake news. The summit also had a series of brainstorms which encouraged creative thinking to dream big before focusing on all the possible implementation challenges that might make you start with very small ideas.

David Risher talked to the audience about the positive impact reading has on kids and families around the world, including how increased literacy drives better economic prosperity and how children born to literate mothers have a 50% higher chance of living past age five. He shared why Worldreader believes a digital platform can help transform how people read around the world by providing easy access to thousands of books. He also shared an inspiring story about his visit to the Canberra School for Girls, where students take their e-readers home every Tuesday and spend the evenings reading out loud to their extended families, increasing the multi-generational reach of Worldreader’s programs.

I also had the honor of presenting to this group about the three things Microsoft and Worldreader have in common. From inclusion to business model bravery to having a customer/reader-centric ecosystem, both Worldreader and Microsoft strive to empower everyone to achieve more. It was fun to see how similar our companies are despite our differences in size and focus area.

Day 4: Seeing more positive, real-world impact in Kibera

On our final day, we visited the Laini Saba Primary School in Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa. Like Mukuru, Kibera faces many hardships. Unemployment is high, working people often make less than US$1 a day, and clean water is scarce. In 2007, only 100 children in the community were able to read. Today, 6,000 children are literate and have access to an increasing number of e-books, much more than they could access via physical libraries.

In 2007, only 100 children in the community were able to read. Today, 6,000 children are literate and have access to an increasing number of e-books, much more than they could access via physical libraries.

Laini Saba Primary School has 510 students who, through Worldreader, can now participate in activities such as silent reading, reading out loud as a group, special needs reading, and so on. On the day we visited, Worldreader and the community brought together eight different schools for a Digital Reading Experience day to socialize, sing, dance, play music, and read. Along with other Worldreader board members, we got a chance to learn some traditional Kenyan dance and we also enjoyed hearing students sing and do a variety of performances.

For me, opening a new book has meant entering a doorway to other worlds. On this trip with the Worldreader team, I was amazed to learn firsthand about the doors literacy is opening for so many young, bright minds – doors to higher education, better living conditions, improved health, higher pay, and an altogether more promising future. A great reminder that every one of us can play a part to empower people everywhere.

To learn more about Worldreader, visit www.worldreader.org.