From street signs and grocery labels to emails and news articles, reading is an essential skill that we often take for granted.

For many refugees arriving in Europe, however, limited literacy is a huge barrier to integration, access to opportunities, and overall well-being.

Our team is on a mission to make a difference by developing ABCphoneschool - a free, highly accessible mobile phone application that will support refugees on their path to developing essential English reading and writing skills.

And to do that, we need your help!

By contributing towards our target of 25,000 euros, in whatever way you can, you're supporting high-quality work that will make a real difference in the lives of people going through the asylum process in Europe. Your donations allow us to:

• fairly compensate our dedicated contributors
• cover the costs of app development and maintenance
• support the app's distribution and promotion

The ABCphoneschool App

We aim to build an app that:

• Is completely free and has no mandatory sign-up
• Works offline
• Can be used through self-study, education programs or with the help of family and friends
• Is available in multiple languages including Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Pashto, Baluchi, Lingala, Urdu, Tigrinya and Kurmanji
• Uses mother tongue audio recordings and an intuitive visual design to be accessible to those without literacy in any language
• Guides the learner step by step through mastering the alphabet, letter sounds, and basic English vocabulary and phrases

Team

Marcus Farstad

Marcus is a software engineer with over a year of teaching experience in refugee contexts. He developed the initial idea while volunteering atNea Kavala Refugee Camp in 2021 combining his passion for languages, pedagogy and programming.

Eliza Winnert

Eliza has a special interest in ESOL and has spent much of the past 7 years in Greece - teaching English, supporting volunteer teachers and creating relevant and inclusive material.

Hudai Karabulut

Hudai is a creative strategist who leverages tools such as Photoshop to effectively convey ideas, information, and emotions in a simple and engaging manner. Based in Athens, Greece, Hudai has dedicated over six months to volunteering with One Happy Family.

Mohammad Rezaee

Mohammad is a computer engineer who spent more than two years in Greece as an interpreter for various organizations. He is pursuing his passion for programming with developer training in France.

Ella Mobbs

Ella is currently running an English programme for Habibi.works in Ioannina, Greece. She is interested in how to improve resources and teaching methods for adult literacy classes.

Want to get involved or learn more?

Contact us:
refugeeliteracy@gmail.com

Follow us:
@refugeeliteracy

Plan

Ideation

• Research: Gather feedback from educators, experts, and asylum seekers to align with their needs and expectations.
• Curriculum Development: Plan and structure learning objectives.
• Content Creation: Produce engaging and relevant materials, including lessons and activities.
• Design: Create an intuitive, user-friendly, and mobile-responsive platform design.

Development

• Wireframing: Visualize the app's structure and user flow, providing a blueprint for development.
• Development: Implement the app in code.
• Testing: Rigorously test the platform for functionality, stability, and performance.

Release

• Distribution: Partner with refugee support organizations to ensure widespread access.
• Feedback Collection: Actively seek feedback from educators and learners to identify areas for improvement and refinement.

Together, let's help pave the way to a brighter future through inclusive access to literacy.