In Timor-Leste, one of the poorest countries in Asia, the adult literacy rate in Portuguese, the language of education, is very low: approximately 40% in urban areas and 18% in rural areas. Acquiring sufficient literacy and numeracy skills hinders economic activities and household management, and parents' low literacy skills negatively impact their children's nutrition, health, and school attendance.

Lafaek, a fun learning magazine, is written in Tetun, one of Timor-Leste's official languages, and includes bingo and letter games to help children learn entertainingly. In addition to teaching letters and arithmetic, children can also learn about disease prevention, knowledge of gender, and practical everyday understanding of nutrition and microfinance. Many visual aids are designed for adults with limited literacy skills.

Maria is 14 years old
I like gardening, watering the crops, and preparing dinner after school. I know how to water my plants through 'Lafaek,' which I can read at school and at home.

Maria teaching at the primary school
Before I taught the children letters, they were uninterested in them. The children responded differently to Lafaek, which has many pictures, illustrations, and photos. We have a Rafaëc for teachers and children, which has been beneficial.

Adelina has four children
I read 'Lafaek' with my children at home. My son reads me different stories, saying, "Mom, 'Lafaek' is great.

Monitoring by CARE revealed that children who read 'Lafaek' had 5% higher reading comprehension than those who did not. They could also identify about seven more letters. Furthermore, at the household level (adults), those who read 'Lafaek' were found to have 13% more savings than those who did not.

Lafaek is bringing learning and the power of life to the people of Timor-Leste.

CARE International Japan
Campaign coordinator
2-2-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0031, Japan
Tel: 03-5950-1335　Fax: 03-5950-1375
Email: wihs@careintjp.org