Monicah Kyalo a Technology Assistant and Program Mentor at Kenya Connect, joined an exclusive club after being featured in the Global 30 under 30 list.
The International Literacy Association’s (ILA) 2023 30 Under 30 list recognized the 27-year-old Kenyan for her efforts to improve literacy in Kenyan rural areas.
Kyalo became part of 30 rising leaders and visionaries in the literacy field drawn from 15 countries working to advance literacy practices and create more equitable learning environments across the globe.
Kyalo's efforts were recognized globally after she embarked on a drive to promote reading culture in rural areas across Kenya through various initiatives.
Some of these initiatives include her role as LitClub mentor and her work with the Expanding Horizons program. LitClub is an in-depth literacy and empowerment program run weekly after school in small groups.
Kyalo also leads Saturday Storytime Sessions and Level-Up Village classes, where she encourages pupils to embrace learning.
Lastly, Kyalo assists with World Read Aloud Day and School Library Days to improve literacy in rural areas in Kenya.
World Read Aloud Day is dedicated to expounding the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read aloud.
KyaloIn a past interview remarked that the initiative had tangible results in boosting participants' grades and academic performance.
“Reading aloud motivates students to want to read while building curiosity, motivation, and memory, which empowers them cognitively.
“It has been a success as teachers come up to me and reveal students had greatly improved in their composition writing and improved grades due to read-aloud,” Kyalo stated.
ILA congratulated Kyalo for her work in promoting literacy in Kenya.
“It is encouraging to see individuals who are working toward a more hopeful future and a literacy landscape where equitable learning opportunities are a reality in every corner of the world,” part of ILA’s congratulatory message to Kyalo read in part.
