The End Learning Poverty for All in Africa (ELPAf) campaign was officially launched in Malawi on 20 June 2025. Malawi becomes the second country after Zambia to launch the campaign that seeks to address the continent’s challenges of foundational learning. With approximately 9 out of 10 children in Sub-Saharan Africa unable to read proficiently by age 10, this bold initiative represents the continent's most urgent call to action to address the learning crisis, which is depriving millions of children of their potential.
Officially launching the national campaign, Honorable Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, Minister of Basic and Secondary Education in the Republic of Malawi describe the campaign as a wake-up call for all stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the issue of poor learning outcomes. She emphasized that addressing learning poverty requires collective action from Government, Communities, teachers and development partners. She continues to state that the campaign signals Malawi strong commitment to improving educational standards and reducing learning poverty, calling upon all levels of society to actively participate, ensuring a lasting change and accountability.
Led by the African Union Commission's Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (AUC-ESTI) Department and supported by UNICEF, the campaign was launched in September 2024 as a flagship initiative marking the AU Year of Education. It unites governments, civil society organizations, international partners, educators, and youth to ensure that every African child gains quality foundational literacy and numeracy skills, leading to meaningful learning outcomes.
Speaking at the launch, Ms. Sophia Ashipala, Head of Education for AUC-ESTI, reaffirmed that countries participating in the ELPAf Campaign were identified based on three key reasons: “political commitment to foundational learning; urgency of need as indicated by data and learning outcomes; and willingness to partner and act decisively on systemic reforms.” “This is not a symbolic campaign; it is an operational and transformative one,” she stated.
Despite increased school enrollment in recent decades, the learning crisis persists across Africa. The ELPAf campaign directly addresses this challenge by shifting focus from access alone to actual learning outcomes, targeting the critical need for political leaders, policymakers, development partners, and communities to tackle learning poverty among school-going children.
The campaign aims to increase the number of children who can read, write, and perform basic math by the age of 10, ensuring that every child in Africa achieves quality foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills by 2035.
UNICEF Deputy Representative in Malawi, Gerrit Maritz, emphasised, “When a child falls behind in learning, the consequences extend beyond school, compromising national development. Global education research indicates that learning poverty is a strong predictor of future unemployment, inequality, and low productivity. Malawi’s Human Capital Index correlates with the number of children who can read or count by age 10. While we must confront these challenges, we should celebrate the gains in access; nine out of ten children in Malawi are enrolled in primary school. This is a significant achievement, but the next priority must be the quality of education.”
Aligned with the African Union's second ten-year implementation plan 2024-2033 of Agenda 2063 and specifically the Continental Education for Africa (CESA 2016-2035) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education for All), the campaign's key objectives include:
• Improving foundational literacy and numeracy skills for children across Africa
• Strengthening teacher support and training, especially in underserved areas
• Mobilizing political will and financial investment in quality education
• Engaging communities and youth to drive grassroots change
The first phase will launch in 25 countries across Africa over 24 months, targeting an improved understanding of learning poverty, strengthened continental and national institutions, and advocacy for increased government investment in foundational learning, as well as scaling up proven pedagogical practices among participating countries.
The campaign will mobilize education stakeholders across African Union Member States through expert conferences, high-level policy dialogues, teacher capacity-building workshops, South-South cooperation, and school competitions.
