Safaricom and Worldreader, an international edtech nonprofit, have launched an initiative aimed at promoting literacy and fostering a love for reading by availing high-quality children’s books to Kenyan families on their mobile devices.
BookSmart is a family reading application available in Kenya that offers over 3,000 high-quality books and activities for children aged 3-12 in several languages, including English and Swahili. More than a library, BookSmart is a complete reading experience – with each book completed, readers improve their reading comprehension, learn valuable social-emotional skills, and become more digitally literate.
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“When children read with adults it stays with them for life and increases their potential for future success. This partnership represents the power of putting reading in the hands of all families so they can prepare their children for their greatest potential,” said Olivia Kimani, Worldreader’s Director of Partnerships and Services in Kenya.
Over the next three months, over 2,000 Safaricom subscribers will be able to access the BookSmart app without incurring data usage charges, meaning that the data they use will not count towards their data plan or mobile data usage.
“This initiative, which is harnessing the power of technology to make quality children’s books accessible to Kenyan families, aligns with our purpose of transforming lives and our commitment to promote digital inclusion. It also underscores the importance of collaboration in driving positive social impact,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom.
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Teaching children to read at an early age holds immense potential in shaping their future. However, in Kenya, a staggering 80% of 10-year-olds are unable to read and understand a simple story, and most families don’t have children’s books in their homes.
With BookSmart, children can learn from stories they care about, accessing books about sports, friendship, adventure, science, heroes and Akili Kids’ favorite stories at the touch of a finger. It features books from local, regional, and global publishers and media companies including Longhorn Publishers PLC, East African Educational Publishers Ltd., Kenya Literature Bureau, Booktalk Africa, Ubongo International, Storymoja, and more.
Today, BookSmart is accessed in homes spanning over 100 countries across Africa, India, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States and has supported more than 22 million readers to reach their potential through the power of books.