Youth Literacy Movement Training Manual

The manual is part of the Girls' Empowerment through Education and Health Activity (ASPIRE), a four-year USAID-funded intervention implemented in Balaka, Machinga, and Zomba Districts. The ASPIRE activity has three outputs, including improved reading skills for girls in upper primary school, increased adoption of positive sexual and health-care seeking behaviors and social norms among youth aged 10-19, and decreased key structural and cultural barriers for girls' access to schooling. Under the reading component, ASPIRE aims to scale up the Early Grade Reading Activity (EGRA) to upper primary classes, bridging the gap in reading skills between lower and upper primary classes. The YLM manual focuses on how YLM members can mobilize and support communities to support learners acquire advanced reading skills beyond the classroom. The manual is designed for use as a training tool for YLM members and as a resource guide for the YLM members in the reading camps. The activities in the manual provide a basis for interaction and discussion during reading camp sessions, and the notes in the feedback section serve as a resource for the facilitator. YLM members have a crucial role in supporting learners with reading at the community level. Their responsibilities include strengthening links with schools from their catchment areas to promote reading activities as a way of complementing learning. They are also expected to mobilize communities to support reading activities and develop a reading culture among learners, making them independent readers. The manual is divided into six units, each focusing on a specific aspect of the YLM's role in promoting literacy. Unit 1 introduces the YLM and its role in promoting literacy, while Unit 2 explores the roles and responsibilities of YLM members. Unit 3 examines the roles of other community structures in promoting literacy, and Unit 4 discusses the implementation of a reading camp initiative. Unit 5 focuses on creating a sustainable print-rich environment, and Unit 6 manages and coordinates the operations of the YLM structure. The manual has been developed through a participatory approach involving a wide range of specialists from primary teacher training colleges, District Youth Office, Ministry of Labour, Youth and Manpower Development, Save the Children International, and the Creative Centre for Community Mobilization. The experts who contributed to the manual include Mrs. Dorothy Gumbo, Ms. Constance Bisani, Mr. Isaac Tuluka, Mr. Boniface Molande, Mr. MacPeter Lumbani, Mr. Mwiza Nkutuma, Mr. Swidern Zuze, Mrs. Madalo Mbewe Moya, Ms. Consolata Manjankhosi, Mr. Christopher Itimu, Mr. William Makani, and Mr. Henri Chilora. The manual is a valuable resource for YLM members, teachers, head teachers, Primary Education Advisors, teacher trainers, and others who play a role in supporting learners develop advanced reading skills. It provides a comprehensive guide on how to mobilize and support communities to promote literacy and develop a reading culture among learners.