INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

MEDIA ADVISORY

Validation Workshop on Scalable Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Practices to End Learning Poverty in Africa

What: Validation Workshop on Scalable Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Practices to End Learning Poverty in Africa.

When: 22 - 23 July 2025, starting from 9:00 am (EAT)

Where: African Union Commission Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
               Medium Conference Hall

Why:

As part of the African Union’s continued commitment to advancing education on the continent, and in alignment with the African Union's declaration of 2024 as the Year of Education, the African Union Commission (AUC) officially launched the End Learning Poverty for All in Africa (ELPAf) and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Campaign. This initiative is grounded in the calls of the Nouakchott Declaration, which urged the elimination of learning poverty by 2035, and further reinforced by the AU Decade of Education (2025–2034) adopted at the 38^th AU Summit in February 2025.

Recognizing the urgency of addressing learning poverty, as emphasized under Strategic Action Area 3 on Foundational Learning in the New Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 26–35), the AUC is working to support Member States in implementing impactful and scalable FLN interventions.

With the ELPAf Campaign gaining momentum, most notably through Zambia’s inaugural national launch and increasing Member State participation, it is essential that continental and national efforts are guided by evidence-based, cost-effective, and scalable practices.

In this context, and with the support of UNICEF and the Gates Foundation, the AUC is convening a high-level and technical validation workshop to assess and finalize a draft Mapping Resource of Best FLN Practices in Africa. This workshop aims to ensure that the process and resulting outputs are jointly owned and shaped by key stakeholders.

Objectives

• To validate the methodology and approach adopted for identifying FLN best practices across Africa.
• To exchange experiences on impactful, scalable solutions that can inform education sector planning and policy reform.
• To formulate strategic recommendations for dissemination, adaptation, and integration of identified practices into national education policies and programs.

Expected Outcomes

• A validated draft of the mapping resource on Best FLN Practices, paving the way for finalization.
• A draft implementation plan for dissemination and policy integration of the resources at continental and national levels.

Participants

• 2 Technical representatives from each of the selected 25 Member States included in the initial phase of the ELPAf campaign.
• Representatives of the AU Commission (ESTI Dept), UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation.
• Key Partners, including GPE, Bilateral Donors, MDBs (including World Bank) and Technical Partners (ADEA, VVOB, TaRL Africa, etc.), as well as actors and advocates in the FLN domain (FLN Hub, etc.).
• Regional education and Civil Society Organizations.
• Academic researchers, and FLN experts

For media inquiries, please contact:

1. Mr. Maqhawe Freedom Thwala | Digital Communications Officer | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation| African Union Commission| E-mail: ThwalaM@africa-union.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africa.union.org
3. Ms. Rutendo Kambarami  | Communications and Advocacy Specialist  | UNICEF Office to the African Union Commission and UNECA