Pakistani education program wins UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for 2023

 

Pakistani education program wins UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for 2023

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for 2023 has been awarded to the Himalayan Literacy Network Mobile Schools Program, an initiative in Pakistan aimed at empowering nomadic children. This announcement was made by the Culture Ministry on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Inaugurated in 1998, this mobile program was devised to provide fundamental education to nomadic Bakarwal children. It accomplishes this by creating mobile schools that can move alongside these children during their biannual migrations through the challenging mountainous terrains.

In addition to this recognition, two other outstanding initiatives received the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize this year. One of them is GraphoGame, an online learning game solution hailing from Finland. GraphoGame is designed to combat global illiteracy and is available in more than eight languages. It not only facilitates learners with dyslexia in acquiring skills in their native languages but also encourages multicultural communication.

The second awardee is the Africa e-Library project launched by Snapplify, an educational technology company specializing in digital educational content. This project provides a platform for students and educators to access a vast array of educational materials seamlessly, even in areas with limited physical book access or during school closures. Snapplify's e-Library is committed to inclusivity, offering features like text-to-speech and dyslexia-friendly fonts to ensure accessibility for all.

The official awards ceremony will be held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Friday, coinciding with International Literacy Day. Each of the three winners will receive a cash prize of $20,000, along with a medal and a diploma.

Since its inception in 1967, the UNESCO International Literacy Prize has acknowledged excellence and innovation in the realm of literacy, with over 512 projects and programs receiving this prestigious recognition to date. The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize, established in 1989 with support from the Korean government, specifically honors private and public organizations and individuals contributing to effective literacy practices, with a focus on mother language-based literacy development.

Source: asianews.network