To improve children’s reading skills and learning outcomes in cocoa-growing communities, Nestlé Cocoa Plan and ICI set up 33 reading clubs in Côte d’Ivoire, in association with NotreBoîte à Livres. This innovative initiative has shown promising results, particularly in strengthening children’s reading skills.
The Boîte à Livres initiative acts as a reading club in cocoa-growing communities, allowing children to borrow books and write summaries of what they have read. In addition, facilitators organise weekly reading workshops for children to attend. These interactive sessions bring stories to life and create a safe environment to learn.
Improved reading skills
A recent evaluation of the Boîte à Livres found that borrowing books and participating in weekly reading workshops significantly improved children's reading skills. At the start of the project, the reading abilities of children in the communities with Boîte à Livres were comparable to those in the control communities. By the end of the project, test scores in the communities with Boîte à Livres were 12% higher than those in the control communities, indicating a meaningful improvement among the children who had the chance to take part in the reading club activities.
“I’ve seen an improvement in my daughter’s grades, reading makes it easier to learn their school lessons.”
Cocoa farmer and parent of a girl participating in the Reading Club
Watch other testimonies here.
Strengthening children’s reading skills is not only essential for improving their learning outcomes, but it can also contribute to reducing children’s vulnerability to child labour. As children’s reading skills improve, they are more likely to engage positively with school, keep up with lessons, and feel motivated to continue their education.
Potential to remediate child labour risk
Integrating the Boîte à Livres initiative into broader efforts to prevent and remediate child labour risk could bring promising results. By combining the reading clubs with awareness-raising about child labour risks and providing guidance and support to households, the initiative can contribute more directly to address these risks.
Together with our partners, we have started integrating these elements to build on the initiative’s success and strengthen its impact.
