The Beninese entrepreneur and the young South African writer are among the four winners of this year’s World Literacy Awards, which were presented on April 3 in London.
Alain Capo-Chichi was awarded for “significant contribution to literacy by an individual”, while Stacy Fru received her award for significant contribution to literacy by a young person. Nadine Gaab, associate professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, received the World Literacy Awards 2023 for her significant contribution to literacy by an academic. The jury found that she has made outstanding contributions to research and teaching about children with dyslexia and reading disabilities.
Cambodia, for its part, was awarded for its significant contribution to literacy by a country. The Cambodian government, it was explained, has developed several educational initiatives to help eradicate illiteracy. These initiatives include school re-enrollment, vocational literacy, post-literacy, diploma equivalency, income generation and life improvement programs. By 2020,organizers reported, the literacy rate for Cambodian adults aged 15 and older had risen to 87.8 percent, a significant increase from 77.6 percent in 2008.
A smartphone and an application to help illiterate people
Alain Capo-Chichi, the foundation explained, has developed a smartphone and an app to help illiterate people in sub-Saharan Africa communicate using a voice-activated app in 50 different languages of the region. “In this region of the world, 40% of the population of sub-Saharan Africa is illiterate and tens of millions of people face enormous difficulties in life because they cannot read or write,” say the award organizers.
In the smartphone invented by Alain Capo-Chichi, one of the voice assistants, called Kone and equipped with artificial intelligence, allows the phone to adapt to the habits and preferences of its user. Among the languages present in the smartphone are Ivorian languages: Senufo, Baoule, Yacouba, Bete and other African languages such as Yoruba, Swahili and Wolof. Alain Capo-Chichi intends to go beyond the current 50 languages to reach 1000 languages by the end of 2023, thanks to volunteers who are willing to share their native languages.
Alain Capo-Chichi is the president of the CERCO Group, which he founded at the age of 20. The CERCO Group is described as an international center of excellence for higher education, scientific research, co-creation, co-production, and innovation at the service of economic, social and cultural development. The group is operational in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, France and China. He is also the president of the international network of private higher education institutions in the CAMES area (RIDEPES-CAMES).
Alain Capo-Chichi is also the initiator of the Internet Bus that he organized in 2003, when Internet access was still in its infancy on the African continent. This first computer bus, which was completely mobile, aimed to train Beninese, to compensate for the lack of financial means of secondary schools to invest in computer rooms, as well as to assist students to face the high cost of cybercafés. The “internet bus” which worked thanks to wifi, had computers and video projectors to train students in the new information and communication technologies.
Alain Capo-Chichi is also the founder of the first computer assembly plant in West Africa. In 2010, he was elected by ECOWAS as the best young entrepreneur in the field of innovation. In 2005, he was elected among the 10 most remarkable young people in the world.Alain Capo-Chichi is the author of several books on entrepreneurship, innovation and training, including “Succeeding at 25, an African example, What University for what Africa?
Alain Capo Chichi is a university lecturer in computer engineering, a doctor in information and communication sciences from the University of Paris 8 (France) and an associate member of the UNESCO Chair in information and communication technologies at the University of Bordeaux, France.
A first book at the age of 7
Stacey Fru, 16, is a South African children’s author who has won national and international awards and published her first book at the age of 7. The book was approved by the South African Department of Basic Education as suitable for young learners from early childhood through elementary school.
Through her children’s books, her advocacy for reading, and her work as a role model for young people in the field of literature, the 12 judges of the World Literacy Awards recognized Stacey Fru as having demonstrated an outstanding commitment to promoting literacy.
In 2016, Stacey Fru became the youngest founding member of the Center for Multilingual Education and Literacy at the University of the Witwatersrand, better known as Wits University, the largest and most prestigious university in South Africa.
Stacey Fru’s third book, “Smelly Cats on Vacation,” was launched on the same day as her education foundation, the Stacey Fru Foundation, through which she says she “empowers others.” Her first two books are entitled “Tim’s Answer” and “Where Is Tammy”.
Stacey Fru writes stories, essays, poems, speeches and tries her hand at songwriting. She is also a guitarist and ballerina, motivational speaker, storyteller, poet, TV talk show host, session chair and teacher.
