How conflict and violence tears children’s lives apart.

Education is a privilege that is not accessible to all. Instead, the reality for many Colombians is survival. The torture that is seen daily is unimaginable, leaving many families and children very few options in life.

Literacy could be the road to freedom.

Generations of children left uneducated

Conflict in Colombia results in the forced recruitment of young children into a life of abuse, teachers being killed, and schools themselves damaged beyond repair. Those who want to create a normal life for themselves and, more importantly, for their children have no choice but to flee their communities, leaving many Colombians displaced.

The flow on effect is a long line of children who grow up without the basic literacy skills required to thrive in life.

Education could be a peaceful solution

The building blocks of literacy are the founding pillars from which all education stems from. To achieve long-lasting peace Colombia’s education system needs to be reconstructed with this crucial focus in mind.

Access to quality education severely differs between urban and rural areas. This gaping hole needs to be closed. Low literacy rates feed violence, poverty, and gender inequality, and affect health outcomes and the economic outlook of any country.

Literacy development commences from the moment a child is born. Interaction with children through general conversation and reading excels literacy skills and sets them on their educational journey.

How we can help

Without intervention, disadvantaged children are left to fend for themselves without any educational support. The World Literacy Organisation is an active force in the development of an educational solution. Merging technology, through the tailored Dingo App that develops and improves literacy skills through videos and eBooks, with teaching English as a second language, supports vulnerable children.

The Dingo App can be accessed in rural areas without internet connectivity. It contains valuable content with targeted messages, reinforcing sustainable development goals that teach and prepare children to become global citizens.

Literacy is the path to peace; let’s stop poverty and violence in its tracks.

Written by: Jennifer Rennie