Mission Statement
We’re closing the achievement gap by providing access to education opportunities, learning resources, and community health knowledge, providing equitable economic opportunities for the Ile, Mozambique community.
More Information
The Moz Library is the only free, public space for children to come and learn in the town of Ile, Mozambique.
Our staff works with the local elementary schools to identify underperforming children to join us for a semester outside of regular school hours. Our certified teachers take the shame out of being behind in school, and turn our classroom into a small, fun club!
Our small class sizes, game-inspired lesson plans, and individualized learning plans provide our students the knowledge and the confidence to excel in their everyday classroom setting.
Our Story
Courtney Johnson was a Peace Corps volunteer from 2015-2017 and worked as a teacher in Ile, Mozambique. She observed that about 5% her high school students could not read or write—but it was not for lack of effort. Illiterate students were coming to class, but still struggled to write complete words on tests.
The issue of illiteracy was well-known among teachers and community members. However, there was an acute lack of resources that prevented the existing institutions from tackling this issue. In 2015, Courtney began to work with community members to develop a program that would work alongside the existing education system providing supplemental education in literacy, math, and English.
Identifying the Need in Mozambique
According to a 2016 study, Mozambique's youth literacy rate is 68%, compared to the 90% global average. Furthermore, only 37% of the Mozambican population has a comprehensive knowledge of HIV. Increasing literacy rates has been linked to increasing HIV prevention and improving health and wellbeing. The ability to read and write can change lives.
Vision
To provide free learning opportunities. Our teachers all hold degrees in primary school education and are also trained in our Moz Library Literacy Curriculum. Our lessons emphasize interactive learning strategies through the scaffolding framework and individualized attention. We also provide resources that may be otherwise unavailable like paper, pens, and electricity to study after dark. We use game-inspirated learning, leveraging song, music, and dance to bring more fun into learning!
To increase community health knowledge. The province of Zambézia has the highest transmission rate of HIV in the nation as well as a rising number of cases of COVID-19. The Moz Library Project leverages the heavily trafficked location of the library to disseminate public health information through painting murals on the walls of the building, providing a space for community health activist groups to meet, and performing plays on the veranda to the public.
Our Plan
To accomplish our mission, we’ve devolved a three tiered approach 1) create a safe space, 2) coordinate library resources and curriculum and 3) inform community health.
2021
2020