Our Work in Ghana

In Ghana, The Library Project helps rural schools and community centers create environments where children have more opportunities to read. Through Reading Rooms and Reading Corners, we provide dedicated and accessible spaces filled with age-appropriate books. Book Donations help strengthen existing collections and give children a wider variety of stories and subjects to explore.

Access to books is most effective when children are encouraged and supported to use them. Our Literacy Programs help children develop stronger reading skills and build confidence as readers, while Training & Support equips educators and community partners with practical approaches for making reading an active part of children’s learning.

We also provide Capacity Building to local literacy nonprofit organizations working in Ghana. Through mentoring, practical tools, program development, fundraising guidance, and other organizational support, we help local partners strengthen their programs and expand sustainable literacy opportunities within the communities they serve.

Literacy in Ghana

Ghana has made considerable progress in expanding access to education, but learning outcomes have not improved at the same pace. UNICEF reported in 2024 that approximately 80 percent of children in Ghana still do not acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills by the end of primary school, making foundational learning a major national education priority.

Earlier nationally representative household assessment data illustrate the scale of the reading challenge. Ghana’s 2017–18 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey found that 79 percent of children ages 7 to 14 did not demonstrate foundational reading skills expected in the early primary grades. Among children who lacked those skills, 64 percent lived in rural areas, and more than half came from the country’s two lowest wealth quintiles.

These inequalities remain important today. UNICEF’s 2026 Situation Analysis of Children and Adolescents in Ghana identifies persistent disparities that continue to leave poor, rural, and marginalized children behind. UNICEF also notes that Ghana’s schools face challenges, including large classes, multilingual learners, limited resources, and gaps in sustained teacher professional development.

Strengthening literacy, therefore, requires more than getting children into school. Regular access to engaging books, opportunities to practice reading, effective instruction, and continued support for teachers and local organizations can all help children develop the foundational skills on which future learning depends. The Library Project supports these efforts through Reading Rooms, Reading Corners, Book Donations, Literacy Programs, Training & Support, and Capacity Building.