Read2Kick Sports and Literacy Festival
Where football meets reading — promoting literacy through the beautiful game.
About this programme
For many children in northern Ghana, football is more than a sport — it is a passion, a social glue, and a powerful motivator. The Read2Kick Sports and Literacy Festival harnesses that passion and channels it toward a critical goal: building a culture of reading among boys and girls who might otherwise never pick up a book outside of school.
Read2Kick is a community festival that combines football competitions with literacy activities in a single, high-energy event. Children rotate through reading stations between matches — reading aloud, playing word games, and earning books as prizes. The festival format makes reading feel like part of the fun, not a separate, compulsory activity. For children who associate books with classroom pressure, Read2Kick reframes reading as something joyful, social, and cool.
The festival travels to schools and communities across the Yendi area, with each event co-organised with local teachers, youth volunteers, and community leaders. Beyond the festival day itself, Read2Kick supports the formation of ongoing reading-and-football clubs where children meet regularly to practise both skills, building lasting habits that extend far beyond a single event.
Our approach
Festival Events
Day-long community festivals that alternate between football matches and literacy activities — reading aloud, spelling games, storytelling, and book prizes — creating an exciting, celebratory atmosphere around reading.
Reading-and-Football Clubs
Ongoing clubs that meet weekly, combining football practice with guided reading sessions, so children build both athletic and literacy skills as part of a consistent routine.
Community Mobilisation
Working with schools, youth groups, and community leaders to organise festivals, recruit volunteer coaches, and ensure that events reach the children who would benefit most.
Who it serves
Boys and girls of primary and junior high school age — Read2Kick is designed for school-age children who may be reluctant readers or who lack access to recreational reading opportunities. By using football as the entry point, the programme reaches children — especially boys — who might otherwise be difficult to engage through traditional literacy programming.
Reading is the foundation of all learning
In northern Ghana, many children complete primary school without achieving functional literacy — a barrier that limits every other subject and every future opportunity. Read2Kick meets children where they are, using the universal language of football to open the door to reading. When a child discovers that books can be as exciting as sport, a lifetime of learning becomes possible.
Programme gallery
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Festival stories and outcomes
We are gathering stories, photos, and reading assessment data from Read2Kick festivals and clubs. Check back for updates on the communities where football is opening the door to literacy.
Bring reading to the pitch
Volunteer at a festival, donate books and sports equipment, or partner with us to bring Read2Kick to more communities across northern Ghana.