The Moz Library

We've been providing free classes in literacy, English, Math, and health to ~150 underserved youth annually for the past 3 years and need your support to continue to serve.

The Moz Library Project operates the first and only public library in a small village in Africa.

Learning how to read and write can change lives. In Mozambique, 47% of the population over 15 years old are unable to read and write. Literacy equips individuals with the ability to access information and engage in critical thinking. Furthermore, literate individuals are more likely to secure better job opportunities, leading to improved economic prospects and poverty reduction. Education also enhances public health awareness, enabling individuals to make health-informed decisions.

By investing in education, you can empower youth in a small village in Africa to build brighter futures.

Courtney Johnson was a Peace Corps volunteer from 2015-2017 and worked as a teacher in Ile, Mozambique. Illiteracy was a known problem but there was an acute lack of resources that prevented the existing institutions from tackling this issue. Some of her students who knew the material verbally, turned in tests with only strings of letters and consonants. In 2015, Courtney began to work with the local government to develop a program that would work alongside the existing education system providing supplemental literacy education to close this achievement gap.

The Library is run by local staff providing employment opportunities to 3 full time and 10 part time staff members.

The 4 Pillars
1) SAFE & HYGENIC SPACE: The Moz Library was built from scratch from 2015 to 2017. The library has to electricity providing the ability to study safely after dark. The library has access to clean water and hygienic indoor & outdoor bathrooms.
2) PUBLIC RESOURCES: Free and Public access to resources including books, pencils, paper, electricity, and computers.3) FREE EDUCATION: The Moz Library offers Free and Public lessons in literacy, English and Math using a simple, replicable, and interactive literacy curriculum that serves a diversity of learning styles and individualized attention.
4) HEALTH: The Library leverages opportunities to disseminate public health information through classes, murals, and public theater.

The library is in Mozambique, a country which sits on the southeast coastline of Africa sharing a boarder with South Africa to the south and Tanzania to the north. Ile is a medium-small town with a population of approximately 15,000 people. Ile has 5 elementary schools, 1 high school, a soccer field, a hospital, several stores, and an open-air market. The coordinates of the library are 16"02"15"S and 37"10"35"E.

Help us close the achievement gap!