Young mothers

Young Mothers is a four-month program offered twice a week in a supportive peer group environment to improve English literacy skills for young mothers, the majority of whom were forced to drop out of school after becoming pregnant. It was established with our PEPFAR DREAMS grant in 2016 and originally called Family Literacy. The program addresses specific educational needs of the young mothers through an adult English-language literacy curriculum that teaches them to read and write in English and puts them on a path to jobs and success. Graduation from this program is based on consistent participation and assessments built into the curriculum. A unique aspect of the Young Mothers program is to not only improve participants' reading and writing, and help them re-enter school, but to also provide follow-on opportunities to learn marketable skills. For example, 25 successful graduates of one Young Mothers cohort were given the opportunity to participate in a skills training program conducted in partnership with the Dzithandizeni Trust Trades School in Lusaka, where they received income-generating skills training to sustain and support their families. A significant number of mothers who have gained English language speaking and reading fluency through their participation have gone on to re-enroll in school, start businesses, or find employment.