FY 2021, Quarter 3 Report: USAID Read with Me Project

The project's main objective is to increase the availability of reading materials and improve reading instruction in grades 1-4. In Quarter 3, the project distributed 960 copies of 12 Braille titles and 5,760 copies of 15 large print titles to specialized schools and classes for children with visual impairments. Additionally, the project distributed 514,841 books to all 3,001 project schools, reaching a total distribution of over 1.3 million books over the life of the project. This effort aims to increase the availability of reading materials for children in Tajikistan. The project also hosted a workshop with 30 participants at the Union of Writers to share its experience creating age-appropriate children's books and promoting those books through various mediums. The workshop highlighted the project's work with counterparts to create leveled books, introduce new genres, adapt books into Braille and large print, and create television and radio shows based on books. The project encouraged the Union of Writers and other counterparts to consider expanding the production of age-appropriate children's literature and pursuing partnerships to improve the culture of reading in Tajikistan. In April and May, the project continued supporting the 17 higher education institutions (HEIs) that introduced the project's pre-service training university course. The project engaged with the HEIs through 34 project-trained mentors, who assisted their colleagues to deliver the course effectively by observing classes, conducting feedback sessions, and regularly communicating with the project. Additionally, the project registered Khorugh State University (KSU) as a pilot on the digital teacher training platform, which will be rolled out to all 22 HEIs in the new academic year. The project also continued the EGRA endline training schedule for Tajik and Russian-language enumerators, selecting 64 enumerators in total. The training covered EGRA endline tools, sampling, data collection protocols, data management, and reporting requirements, and included a practice visit to a local school. In April, 16 teams completed the data collection for the EGRA endline. As part of book distribution in Quarter 3, the project and the MoES organized a book donation event in each region. The event series commemorated the milestone of 1.3 million books delivered over the life of the project and featured participation from high-level MoES officials, including the First Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister, and USAID RWM's MoES Coordinator. Each book donation event featured performances from school children about the importance of reading and local culture, speeches by the MoES and project leadership, and an official book donation ceremony. The project also completed the delivery of 8,205 books to 71 children with disabilities in Quarter 3. Overall, the USAID Read with Me Project in Tajikistan continued to make significant progress in increasing the availability of reading materials and improving reading instruction in grades 1-4 during Quarter 3 of FY 2021. The project's efforts aim to improve literacy outcomes in Tajikistan and promote a culture of reading among children.