Photo: Monica Letsoha, ALP Lesotho Partner, spreading the love of reading to students during a school visit.
Monica Letsoha’s story is one of dedication to literacy and community. She continues to draw inspiration from her mother, whom she considers her hero and greatest role model. Selling vegetables, trading steel wool, and brewing traditional beer, her mother paid school fees for Monica and her siblings. Now, Monica carries that same spirit forward, empowering children, especially girls, through literacy in Lesotho.
Her love for reading began in high school when a Peace Corps volunteer introduced her to English and literature and encouraged her to read. Monica set a personal challenge to read a book every week. With each story she learned, her world grew. Reading strengthened her English and inspired her to pursue a Library and Information Science degree at the University of Botswana.
Monica has been a diligent literacy advocate, teacher-librarian, and role model for over two decades. She has worked in every aspect of library services, from collection development to training educators. Since joining the African Library Project (ALP), she has helped create and improve nearly 800 school libraries, training teachers to establish engaging learning spaces where children can truly thrive.
Monica has seen firsthand the stark difference that access to books has in a child’s life, especially for girls. In communities without libraries, many young girls face pressure to marry early, sacrificing their education and independence. Without books, their futures become more limited, and they are more vulnerable to challenges such as low self-esteem, teenage pregnancy, and substance abuse.
But Monica knows that when you educate a girl, you educate the world. Books open the door to knowledge, confidence, and self-determination. A girl who reads learns to think for herself, challenge societal expectations, and dream beyond what she has been told is possible. With books, she can excel in school, build her own future, and break down barriers.
Through ALP, Monica is accelerating action for gender equality by ensuring that girls in Lesotho don’t just learn to read but discover their own voices. They are not only students but storytellers, thinkers, and writers, shaping a future where literacy is a pathway to opportunity.
This International Women’s Day, Monica’s story is a great reminder that literacy is a means for change. In Sesotho, there is a saying: “Lets’oele le beta pooho”, meaning together, we can do more.
Honor the work of teacher-librarians like Monica by supporting ALP. Organize a book drive, make a donation, and help provide more children with access to books. When a child has access to books, she is unstoppable.