"Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope..."

This week’s email comes to us from Promise Makala, our Head of Academics. Thank you, Promise!

My name is Promise Makala, Head of Academics at Impact Network. I grew up in the Mtendere neighborhood of Lusaka, Zambia. During my primary school education, I struggled in literacy and numeracy and I was one of the students who performed poorly. Our class was very large, with 70-80 students, and due to this large number of students in our class, it was very difficult for our teacher to provide individual support to students – even ones who struggled as I did. It was very hard for me to grasp the concepts at the first attempt and I struggled to learn to read. I remember when I was in grade 5, my parents were called to school by my class teacher explain that my performance was not good.

When I wrote my primary exams at the end of grade 7, I was surprised to find that I had passed and was selected to go to junior secondary school. I still think the reason why I passed that exam was not that I was intelligent but because I guessed right on the multiple choice exam questions! During my junior secondary years, our class had a smaller number of students (between 30-35) and our mathematics teacher was able to give more support – especially for us who needed it. After receiving more support from my mathematics teacher, I began to perform much better in class and became fascinated with mathematics. This fascination continued when I went to university, where I especially enjoyed courses in mathematics and real analysis.

Reflecting back from the time when I was a student and the challenges I faced in terms of struggling to read, I now appreciate the steps we have taken as an organization to help our students who are struggling to read through our literacy programs and our School Support Officers.

At every Impact Network school, there is a School Support Officer (SSO), who is designated to provide additional support to all students, focusing on students who need it most. These SSOs provide special support to struggling students during literacy classes and also teach specialized literacy classes for those who need even more help. One of those special literacy classes is called guided reading and it is an opportunity for students to apply and practice reading skills they have learned in their regular classrooms. After an initial assessment, students are put in different leveled groups according to reading and comprehension skills. The guided reading session consists of 5 students per session and students receive more personal attention from SSOs to help them overcome any reading difficulties through tutoring. This program has helped our students across our schools to be good readers and to love reading!

I think about how my own schooling would have been if I had access to support like our students are receiving through the School Support Officers (SSO); I think that I wouldn’t have struggled with literacy for so long!

Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. ~ Kofi Annan

-Promise