The Speaking Book is a world first. It is an innovative audio-visual book which helps the many illiterate elderly people in more rural and disadvantaged communities access entertainment and healthcare information.
This is a United Nations award-winning project, the concept of which is used successfully in South Africa in order to educate and create awareness of social issues and diseases. It has been endorsed and supported by the USAID, PEPFAR, Johns Hopkins, World Bank, the South African Government, Swaziland Government, Pfizer, Lilly, UNICEF, the Global Fund, and EU and many others. The books have been produced in 24 languages to date.
Illiteracy is a critical problem affecting all corners of the earth. No boundaries exist and it affects among every race and ethnicity, age group, and economic class. This silent epidemic threatens over 785 million adults worldwide; one in five adults is still not literate with two-thirds of them being women. Africa, as a continent, has a literacy rate of less than 60%.
Unfortunately, the problems associated with being non-literate take place in critical areas of life such as understanding medical instructions and information.
The Speaking Book is a truly cost effective ‘edutainment tool’, giving people access to critical, life-saving information they could never have accessed previously. Each book actually speaks to people in their own language, often through the voice of a local celebrity, arming individuals with important information while also empowering communities to live a better life.
The Speaking Book is made possible by funding through the National Lottery Commission (NLC). The Speaking Book may not be sold or resold.
(Free except for postage fee)
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