early literacy
CHANGES EVERYTHING
Over 850,000 children under the age of 6 are living in poverty in the predominantly rural province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa .
Even Ground is transforming the lives of children in Sub-Saharan Africa by partnering with community-based organizations driving high-impact nutrition, education, and youth empowerment solutions.
EVEN GROUND
Literacy is a gateway to learning and gives children a fair chance at breaking the cycle of poverty. Yet 81% of children in South Africa cannot read in any language.
Supporting children’s learning journey by developing literacy skills early is critical. Strong foundations provide children with the tools they need to reach their full potential.
give the
GIFT OF LITERACY
YOU can enable Early Literacy for children in KwaZulu-Natal! Children learn to read in many stages, from recognizing letters to understanding the meaning of a story. To ensure success in reading, our local partners start offering locally-driven literacy interventions to children from as early as birth - building the blocks for strong readers.
By donating to Even Ground, you can change the course of a child’s life.
$1,000
$5,000
BABIES
The first 1,000 days of a baby’s development are a critical and sensitive phase of development. During this time, a child undergoes rapid physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development that lays the foundation for future learning.
Yet many babies do not receive adequate stimulation. In 2023, our partners are encouraging the first steps towards literacy for 424 babies in rural KwaZulu-Natal by upskilling their guardians to communicate frequently with their babies and offer activities that build skills such as crossing the midline and hand-eye coordination.
These activities enable babies to reach their developmental milestones and lay the foundations for reading, writing, and communicating. They achieve this through Early Literacy workshops, individual home visits, laddering activities, and local group playgroups.
PRE-SCHOOL
By age five, 90% of a child’s brain is already developed, so ensuring that children attend a preschool for ages 3-5 is essential for supporting their learning development. Unfortunately, more than half of children in KZN do not have access to early learning centers.
Even Ground and our partner organizations are supporting 2,043 children through pre-school programs in 2023, ensuring they will be on track to start school .
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Nearly all rural schools lack skilled teachers and adequate resources, and only 7% of rural South African schools have functional libraries.
Even Ground is supporting literacy interventions run through our partner organizations to help 1060 children learn to decode, gain phonological awareness, and develop a love of reading through access to books in their home language.
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more about
EVEN GROUND
We envision a future for Sub-Saharan Africa where every child thrives.
Even Ground, a U.S. 501c3 non-profit organization, connects compassionate donors with a strong desire for change to grassroots initiatives in Southern Africa. We work alongside local partners to change children’s lives through a holistic approach encompassing nutrition, education, and youth empowerment programs.
nutrition
nutrition
education
education
youth empowerment
youth empowerment
Even Ground partners serve 6,652 children and 5,131 families.
Our partners are based within the communities they serve, allowing them to have a deep understanding of what the community needs and how best to approach the situation in a culturally relevant and respectful way. This paves the way for the greatest potential for impact in the community where each of the organizations is based.
even ground
PARTNERS
Our relationship with our Partners is unique because we work together long-term to grow and support programs that catalyze change.
Our goal is to support these organizations and, through increasing financial investments, capacity development, and knowledge sharing as they grow, we aim to build their sustainability and amplify their impact into the future.
Separated by distance, we can do nothing alone, but working together, we can change lives.
even ground
BOARD MEMBERS
Andrew Klaber
Andrew Klaber
Rohit Sahni
Rohit Sahni
Justin Ari Martina
Justin Ari Martina
Scott Grinsell
Scott Grinsell
Annie Mullen
Annie Mullen
Rohan Nirody
Rohan Nirody
Bharat Ganju
Bharat Ganju
DONATE VIA MAIL
DONATE VIA MAIL
Mail us tax-deductible checks made out to Even Ground:
Even Ground
64 Vanderlyn Dr
Manhasset NY 11030
DONATE
VIA MAIL
DONATE
VIA MAIL
Mail us tax-deductible checks made out to Even Ground:
Even Ground
64 Vanderlyn Dr
Manhasset NY 11030