Literacy, Hope and Urgency | A Regional Call to Action

In the July 2025 issue of Cuadernos de Pedagogía, Augustin Porres, Regional Director for Latin America at the Varkey Foundation, reflects on the profound challenges and possibilities of literacy in the region. In his editorial, Entre el dolor, la esperanza y la urgencia, Augustin speaks candidly of the injustice of children being denied the fundamental right to learn to read and write and of the emotional and social cost of that failure.

At the heart of his reflection is Ana Casiva, a lifelong educator and Varkey Foundation team member, whose leadership and humility have inspired thousands of literacy trainers and classroom teachers across Latin America. Her presence in remote rural schools, welcomed with joy and reverence, symbolises the kind of hope and authority grounded in love and knowledge that the region urgently needs.

Augustin's piece is both a tribute and a rallying cry, a recognition of the urgent need to move from pain to action. As he writes, “We can no longer sustain an ode to failure.” The time to act with belief, love, and urgency is now.

Read the Cuadernos de Pedagogía article here