Last-Mile Learning

Reaching Children Beyond the Classroom

Why this matters

Cabo Delgado faces persistent education challenges, with climate shocks and conflict-driven displacement regularly disrupting schooling. According to the 2025 UNDP “Leaving No One Behind” report on Cabo Delgado, more than 55% of children aged 5 to 17 have never attended school. Where traditional school infrastructure is compromised – by cyclone, displacement, or distance – children risk falling permanently outside the education system. Reaching them requires methods that work outside the classroom.

Source: UNDP — Leaving No One Behind: Cabo Delgado Province (2025); Provincial Directorate of Education, Cabo Delgado.

The project

The project supports education continuity for children in Cabo Delgado, with a particular focus on basic literacy and numeracy. The model combines accelerated learning methodologies with offline content delivery to reach children directly, and community radio programming to reach the broader community and engage caregivers. To ensure accessibility across linguistic communities, learning materials were developed in the three main local languages of Cabo Delgado: Emakhuwa, Makonde, and Kimwani.

Targets
  • 8,000 children targeted through accelerated learning.
  • More than 20,000 community members to be reached through community radio.
  • Learning materials available in Emakhuwa, Makonde, and Kimwani.