Yak Jones Foundation Introduces Sierra Leone-Themed Literacy Materials

The Yak Jones Foundation has expanded its literacy programme with African-inspired alphabet flashcards and puzzles featuring notable places in Sierra Leone.

The materials were presented in connection with International Literacy Day on September 8 and are designed to help children learn while recognising elements of their own surroundings, culture and history.

Learning through familiar images

The alphabet flashcards feature references to Africa, including food, animals, places, people and culture. The Sierra Leone puzzle collection uses photographs supplied by the Centre for Memory and Reparations and focuses on notable locations in the country.

Dr. Yakama Manty Jones, who leads the foundation, said the materials were created to help children identify with what they encounter during lessons.

“We want children to see themselves in learning,” Jones said.

She added that the cards were intended to make the process of learning letters more colourful, enjoyable and familiar, while the puzzles could encourage children to ask questions about Sierra Leonean places and their histories.

“We want a child putting together a puzzle to discover Sierra Leone, piece by piece,” Jones said.

Part of a wider literacy programme

The Yak Jones Foundation was launched in 2016. Its work has included supplying books and other learning resources to schools and early childhood centres, working with teachers and learning coaches, organising reading activities and helping pupils prepare for examinations.

In 2022, the foundation donated storybooks, textbooks, exercise books, crayons and other learning materials to three Early Childhood Development Centres in Freetown, Moyamba and Kambia. The donation benefited more than 200 early learners from low-income communities, according to the report.

The organisation has also supported pupils at SM Broderick Municipal School through learning coaches, after-school reading clubs and additional preparation for the National Primary School Examination.

Jones said literacy should be viewed as a basic foundation for wider opportunity, rather than only as a means of improving examination results.

“If we want citizens to reach their full potential, it starts with ensuring they have functional literacy skills,” she said.

Availability of the materials

The African-inspired alphabet flashcards are currently available in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone landmark puzzles can be obtained on a pre-order basis. The learning pack contact number provided by the source is +232 791 21480.

The foundation said the resources were developed with Sierra Leonean children in mind but could also reach children elsewhere in Africa and beyond. Jones described the cards and puzzles as tools that combine literacy with play, curiosity and pride in cultural identity.

UNESCO is marking the 60th anniversary of the international literacy observance in 2026 under the theme “Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity.”