What is the Pakistan Literacy Project (PLP)?

The Pakistan Literacy Project (PLP), launched in 2020 in partnership with Room to Read, addresses a critical need by building the very foundation of education: a child’s ability to read. Recognizing that literacy is not merely a skill but a gateway to all future learning and empowerment, the project has systematically worked to create access to reading materials. This began with establishing 24 standalone libraries in Lahore and Bahawalpur, expanded with 10 library corners in the same districts, and is now scaling significantly with 36 new libraries planned across 15 districts in Punjab (Attock, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Kasur, Lodhran, Mianwali, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan and Sheikhupura). To ensure stories resonate culturally and linguistically, the project has also translated 28 Adapted books into Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, and Dari, distributing them to primary public schools to make reading both accessible and relatable for young learners.

Beyond providing access, the project fosters a sustainable literary ecosystem by cultivating local talent through its dedicated Book Production component. Understanding that a lasting love for reading is sparked by high-quality, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant books, PLP has conducted a series of workshops for Pakistani writers and illustrators. The success of this strategy is tangible: in phase 2 writers’ and illustrators’ workshops held in Lahore yielded 15 published books, subsequent writers’ and illustrators’ workshops conducted in phase 2.4 in Karachi produced 9 more books, and the latest workshops conducted in phase 2.5 in Islamabad (2025) has resulted in a collection of 11 new books, currently ready for publishing. This dual-pronged approach creating physical libraries while simultaneously nurturing a pipeline of local content ensures that the project’s impact on literacy and children’s publishing in Pakistan is both profound and enduring.