Together, we will eradicate illiteracy by 2030.
We are a passionate team and community who believe that access to literacy is a foundational right.
How NABU Works
Accelerating Literacy Through Access to Mother Tongue Books
When children can read in their local language first, they grow in confidence, and literacy levels shoot up. By offering training for writers and illustrators, we create original local language books that support children in learning how to read. Nabu.org is our free reading app that distributes our children’s books to millions of readers globally. To accelerate the mission, we develop reading programs in underserved communities in which the children learn to read on our reading app by reading our NABU children's books.
Content
Authentic Book Creation Lab
A child needs access to 160 mother tongue reading books at the early grades. We train local artists to publish high quality books in mother tongue languages.
Distribution
NABU Reading App
Content is useless without distribution. We have developed the NABU multilingual kids book app, the best reading app for low bandwidth environments, to provide free access to books.
Engagement
Bridge to Literacy
Literacy requires children to be actively reading everyday. We link reading behavior to in-app reward, and invest in local reading programs.
Why mother tongue reading?
Mother tongue books are one of the most cost-effective interventions in increasing literacy.
Research shows mother tongue books:
- Increase a child’s motivation to read
- Result in stronger parental engagement in children’s education
- Provide a bridge to reading in English, and other languages
Global Impact
Where we work
Currently
Afghanistan, Australia, DRC, Haiti, Kenya, Nigeria, Philippines, Romania, Rwanda, Ukraine, USA
Programs
Through Bridge To Literacy (B2L), NABU trains community-based reading ambassadors and local partners to onboard and motivate families to read with their children every day. In partnership with local governments and NGOs, NABU has trained over 2,000 Reading Ambassadors, replicating the Bridge To Literacy program succ...
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In the ABC Lab, we train local creators to publish collections of leveled books in languages where they do not exist, ensuring that every child has free access to the essential books that they need to learn to read. Mother tongue reading books are one of the most cost-effective interventions in children’s literacy, im...
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Our Team
Board of Directors
FAQs
Reports
Download the App
We bring the wonder of reading right to your child's fingertips with bilingual, mother tongue books.
Donate
Your donation makes a difference. Join us in our mission to ensure every child has equal access to literacy and learning resources.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR GIFT
NABU is free for children, families, and teachers, thanks to our generous donors. Your donation can make a big difference:
- $25 monthly subscription for one child: Provide access to the NABU app and hundreds of bilingual books for a child and their family
- $45 monthly subscription for one classroom: Gift NABU to a teacher for use in their classrooms to support student learning
- $1,500 to publish a children's book: Support our professional development initiatives, training local artists to create culturally relevant stories for children in their communities, with translations into 25 languages
- $5,000 to sponsor a country-wide children's radio program:Expand our impact through storytelling radio programs across an entire country