USAID READ Community Outreach (READ CO) Quarterly Report (July-September 2016)

The program operates in five regions: Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Tigray, and Somali, and is implemented by Save the Children Federation, Incorporated (SCI) and its local sub-partners. The goal of READ CO is to increase access to supplementary reading materials in vernacular languages, create opportunities for children to practice reading and writing, and strengthen parental and community engagement to support learning to read. The program has adopted three Intermediate Results (IRs) to measure achievement towards its goal: IR 1, IR 2, and IR 3. IR 1 aims to increase access to supplementary reading materials in vernacular languages, IR 2 focuses on creating opportunities for children to practice reading and writing, and IR 3 seeks to strengthen parental and community engagement to support learning to read. These IRs are aligned with the USAID/READ Sub-Intermediate Results framework for Ethiopia, which includes reading materials development, training, capacity building, support to community involvement, and monitoring and evaluation inputs. READ CO is supporting 2,488 schools across the five target regions, with the medium of instruction in each of these schools being one of the seven READ-supported mother tongue languages spoken in the targeted regions. The program will extend its regional capacity-building activities to include the remaining four regions and two city administrations of Ethiopia. The READ CO community outreach model is designed to be rolled out nationally and integrated with existing Ministry of Education (MOE) and Regional State Education Bureaus (RSEBs) structures and leadership. The program's strategies and implementation mechanisms include enhancing the literacy environment by making more supplementary mother tongue reading materials available to primary grade learners, promoting the establishment of school-based reading and writing clubs, creating opportunities for children to practice reading and writing, raising community and parental awareness on the importance of literacy, and promoting community and school participation in School Improvement Plan (SIP) development. In the reporting period of July 1 to September 30, 2016, READ CO continued to implement its strategies and activities to achieve its goal. The program's progress is reflected in the implementation of its strategies and activities, including the distribution of supplementary reading materials, the establishment of school-based reading and writing clubs, and the creation of opportunities for children to practice reading and writing. The program also continued to build the capacity of its partners and stakeholders, including the MOE and RSEBs, to support the implementation of its activities. The program's achievements in the reporting period include the distribution of 1.5 million supplementary reading materials to 2,488 schools, the establishment of 1,500 school-based reading and writing clubs, and the creation of opportunities for 10,000 children to practice reading and writing. The program also continued to engage with communities and parents to raise awareness on the importance of literacy and to promote community and school participation in SIP development. Overall, READ CO has made significant progress in implementing its strategies and activities to achieve its goal of improving reading and writing skills of primary school children in Ethiopia. The program's achievements in the reporting period reflect its commitment to strengthening community outreach and promoting literacy in Ethiopia.