The Impact of LitMoms Clubs
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
At LitWorld, we know just how true this proverb is—especially when it comes to learning. In order to truly thrive, a child's learning cannot be limited to the confines of a classroom. Every child deserves access to a joyful learning environment at school and at home, and every caretaker deserves the chance to create one.
First piloted in 2012, LitMoms Clubs provide caretakers everywhere with the tools they need to support themselves and their families. By giving mothers access to the entrepreneurial training, literacy empowerment, and social support that so many women are often denied, LitWorld helps women become leaders in both their homes and communities—creating change for generations to come.
Recognizing the importance of family in a child's learning, LitWorld first developed LitMoms Clubs in 2012 to provide even further support for our partner communities. These revolutionary programs combined literacy empowerment and social support with income generation components such as technology training, sewing lessons, and food/nutrition workshops. Initially piloted in a few select locations, LitMoms Clubs now run in countries around the globe and have become an essential tool for supporting our partners.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, LitMoms played an especially pivotal role in their communities. At Art of a Child in Uganda, LitMom Jessica used the skills she learned in LitMoms Clubs to make and sell protective masks, preventing the spread of COVID-19 while earning income to support her family.
In Pakistan, LitMoms at Seeds of Hope took action by starting a friendly sewing competition to make face masks, which they then distributed for free. Safia, winner of the competition, stated that "[I] am really grateful to LitWorld and Seeds of Hope Foundation for giving me this opportunity to use my skills for the betterment of humanity in such a crucial circumstance."
LitMoms also proved vital in keeping kids learning throughout the pandemic. By reading aloud together and sharing activities they had learned in LitMoms Clubs, mothers at Ready for Reading in Rwanda were able to keep their families safe, engaged, and hopeful despite school closures and shutdowns.