Since then, the government has managed to reduce illiteracy to just under 50% - but the lack of basic reading, writing and arithmetic for much of the population remains an immense challenge for the country's development.
An innovative programme working with children, however, is turning that around.
A UNESCO Initiative that came about in 2003, the Government has taken the reigns and is now rolling out the programme nationally. Children are taking the lead, teaching their parents a thing or two.
For: EuroNews: Learning World (Nov/Dec 2011)
