The Shine Zambia Reading Academy Food Program by Betty Trummel

Often people ask me, “How can we help?”  A to Z Literacy knows that literacy development requires more than books.  A to Z and its partners in Zambia provide a variety of resources necessary for effective literacy promotion, including book delivery, school meals, and high-quality teacher instruction.  ALL of these components are part of our time here in Zambia.

We know that students can better focus on learning when they aren’t hungry.  Shine Zambia Reading Academy is currently providing a meal for students every day they are at school.  Three days a week this is a bowl of porridge served to about 200 students per day.

(Above:  The porridge, waiting for its final stir!)

(Above: I jumped in to try this job, but quickly gave it over to Esther, one of the cooks at Shine, pictured below.)

They supplement with foods such as beans, vegetables, nshima (corn meal dish similar to grits but more solid), and soy chunks two times per week.

I’d love to see if we can help Shine boost these “extras” to 3 or 4 times per week.  Please visit the A to Z Literacy website (www.atozliteracy.org) to see how you can help.  THANKS!