Rotary Clubs, join hands with the Peace Corps! Children need us!

The following letter is from Dick Day, Regional Director of The Peace Corps in Africa.

Dear Rotarians,

Early childhood development is such a critical need across Africa. While we have some Peace Corps Volunteers working with local non-governmental organizations to support ECD with orphans and vulnerable children, they have little training in early childhood development and fluency teaching and few resources.

Thank you for helping equip our Volunteers on both fronts through the Souns program, and thank you for touching the little ones who so desperately need love and training.

Dick Day                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

This letter is the result of a pilot literacy project in South Africa, promising the fundamental skills of reading and writing for children. A collaboration between the Peace Corps and Rotary (currently including D9400 and D6900) means a door is open and the light is shining through it. A sustainable path to impacting literacy is visible. We have two amazingly dedicated organizations and a tool designed to teach children to read in any African language.

How can you get involved? There is a Global Grant option, as well as ample opportunity for any Rotary Club to support one or more Peace Corps volunteers in Africa. Please email: everychildwillread@gmail.com to discuss the possibilities. You might even consider joining in the training at some point. Once you have experienced the eyes of these children as they learn, you will see many things differently.