SLI: Changing Young Lives Through Faith & Literacy
SLI empowers out-of-school children to believe they are loved by God and have a future worth fighting for. We work with very low income families to remove barriers to learning—whether access, resources, or mindset—through a strategic, personalized, and flexible approach to spirituality, literacy, and identity education.
ABOUT SLI
The Challenge
Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, with an estimated 18.3 million children unable to access education (UNICEF).
1 in 3 children in Nigeria is out of school (UBEC).
70% of 10-year-olds cannot read a simple sentence (NBS & UNICEF).
The leading causes of school dropout or non-enrollment include child labor—both domestic and economic.
Our Mission
We empower individuals, churches, groups, and communities to support children from families who can’t or won’t sponsor their education. Our mission is to help these children:
Achieve literacy—read, understand, and apply knowledge to improve their lives.
Embrace faith—develop Christlike character and follow God’s plan for their lives.
Discover their identity—live with purpose and confidence.
Our Approach
We bring education to children right where they live and work—creating a sustainable, community-based model that can be adapted and scaled.
Our work aligns with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), ensuring that children not only gain literacy but also develop skills for a better future.
We achieve this through:
- Literacy & Language Arts Education – equipping children with essential reading and comprehension skills.
- Christian Discipleship – nurturing faith, values, and spiritual growth.
- Identity & Moral Education – strengthening self-awareness and character development.
By investing in these children, we are breaking cycles of poverty and creating opportunities for lifelong learning and meaningful work.
Why Spirituality?
A child who knows God and knows they are loved by God sees the world—and themselves—differently.
When children grow up without spiritual grounding, they are more likely to miss out on God's unconditional love and purpose for them.
At SLI, we nurture faith because we believe true transformation happens when children are anchored in truth.
Why Literacy?
A child who learns to read gains more than a skill—they gain confidence, opportunities, and the ability to dream beyond their circumstances.
At SLI, we believe every child deserves the gift of literacy. When a child can read, they can learn. When they can learn, they can grow. And when they grow, they can change their future.
Why Identity?
A child’s future is shaped by what they believe about themselves.
When they discover who they are—when they know they are valued, capable, and full of potential—everything changes.
At SLI, we affirm every child's worth and help them see that they have a future worth fighting for.
At SLI, we step into the gap, creating pathways for learning and reducing the number of forgotten children.
Shepherds: The Heart of SLI
Faith and Literacy Changes Lives. They Make It Happen.
Our trained team, known as Shepherds, go where others won’t to reach the ones others don’t. They bring more than education—they bring hope, care, and encouragement to out-of-school children and underserved communities.
Shepherds serve in two key ways:
🛻 Outreach Team – They are the first to seek out children who have been left behind. They search communities, advocate for children to join the program, onboard them, and engage with their families, bosses, or community leaders to ensure they get the opportunity to learn.
📖 Education Team – They step into the learning spaces, offering teaching, mentoring, and spiritual guidance. Whether through structured lessons, storytelling, discipleship, or play, they help children discover a love for learning and a belief in themselves.
❤️ No matter their role, every Shepherd gives their time, energy, and heart to transform lives.
Say a prayer for them. Support their work. Join the mission.
How It Works
Spirituality
Talehs engage in daily Bible reading, prayer, and worship. They also follow The Simple Truth curriculum, which teaches the basics of Christian doctrine in a simple yet thorough way. Through Bible study and faith-based discussions, they discover their worth in God’s eyes and build a future anchored in faith, hope, and love.
Literacy
We nurture confident readers by reading to children, practicing reading with them, and using the Orton-Gillingham approach to teach phonics. Weekly reading and spelling assessments track progress. The books are carefully selected from the best book lists to inspire children with beautiful thoughts and global perspectives.
Identity & Social-Emotional Growth
Children develop a strong sense of self through play, child-led conversations, and guided discussions on personal development topics like goals, discipline, vision, and purpose.This is often their favorite part of the program, as they feel truly seen, heard, understood, and valued—something rarely experienced in their daily lives.
Shepherd Support & Accountability
Shepherds meet weekly for prayer, training, tracking, and accountability sessions. These gatherings help them prepare, improve, and support children more effectively each week. It’s also a time for them to unwind, relax, and draw strength and encouragement from one another, while sharing insights and learning from each other’s experiences.
Children Reached
Shepherds Trained
Books read
A Message from Our Founder
SLI was born out of a desire to provide a lifeline to children who are often overlooked—those in both rural and urban communities with little to no access to quality education. It is triage for transformation, empowering them to see beyond their circumstances, dream boldly, and live purposefully.
We know SLI cannot replace formal education, but it can plant seeds of change—seeds that grow into empowered individuals, thriving communities, and a lasting legacy of hope. Sometimes, all it takes is just enough to help a child decide their future is worth fighting for.
Together, we can be the hands and feet of Christ, bridging the gap between potential and opportunity, going after the one.
I invite you to join us in feeding the lambs—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
SLI’s Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
At SLI, we are committed to advancing global education and economic empowerment through innovative literacy programs, teacher training, and workforce readiness initiatives. Our work directly aligns with the following SDG targets:
SDG 4.6 – Literacy for All
SLI provides alternative literacy education to out-of-school children and underserved youth, equipping them with essential reading, writing, and numeracy skills. By removing barriers to education and fostering a love for learning, we empower young people with the tools they need for lifelong success.
SDG 8.5 – Decent Work & Economic Growth
By providing foundational education and skill development, SLI prepares young people for meaningful employment opportunities. Our programs support workforce readiness, ensuring participants gain competencies that enable them to pursue further education, entrepreneurship, or career pathways.
SLI provides decent work opportunities within our teams, offering meaningful roles in education, training, and administration. In addition to workforce readiness programs for youth, we also invest in the continuous professional and personal development of our team members, ensuring they grow as professionals and contribute effectively to the education/social impact sector.
SDG 4.c – Strengthening the Teaching Workforce
Through our educator training programs, we equip pre-service and in-service teachers with effective literacy instruction methods, ensuring high-quality education delivery. We also collaborate with global education partners to improve teacher capacity, particularly in underserved communities.
SDG 8.6 – Reducing Youth Unemployment & Disengagement
SLI addresses the root causes of youth unemployment by bridging the gap between education and economic participation. We offer learning pathways that connect literacy and identity to vocational training, entrepreneurship, and job opportunities, helping young people transition from learning to earning.
Beyond equipping young people with literacy and employability skills, SLI actively reduces unemployment by directly employing and engaging youth (18–35) in our programs. We create pathways for career development through mentorship, skills training, and leadership opportunities, enabling them to build sustainable futures while contributing to social impact.
Through these initiatives, SLI is not just improving literacy rates—we are shaping a future where every child and young adult has the opportunity to learn, work, and thrive
“Before you started teaching me, I no sabi read anything... but now, I sabi read — anything!”
— Chinedu, a Taleh 14 years old, after reaching Grade 6 on the San Diego Word Recognition Scale
“God go bless una oh! The way una dey teach ehn — no pikin wey no go understand, because it’s step by step. See Amanda na!”
— Grandmother of a Taleh, beaming with joy after watching her grandchild learn with ease
“When I took Ella to write her entrance exam, the examiner was shocked. I told her Ella has never been to school, and she said, ‘But this child is very good in phonics!’ I knew it was because of SLI. Thank you so much.”
— Mother of Ella, a Taleh 8 years old
"I want more of God and I want to know God more." - “Something said I should steal, but another thing said I shouldn’t. I didn’t do it.”
— Adriel, a Taleh
“Ha! Ella, you know how to read now?”
— Ella’s older brother, surprised and proud after seeing her read for the first time
Partner with Us
Help us reach more out-of-school children.
Your support can help in so many ways—training new Shepherds, equipping volunteers, providing learning resources, and ensuring smooth operations to keep the mission running strong. Every gift—big or small—makes a real difference!
Let's raise a generation for God together!
Frequently asked questions
SLI stands for Spirituality, Literacy, and Identity. It is a faith-based social impact program under the El-Talehs Foundation that helps out-of-school children build a personal relationship with God, learn to read, discover their identity, and grow in wisdom and purpose.
We don’t just teach children to read.
We help them believe they are seen, loved, and capable of building a future worth fighting for.
Many of the children we serve face real barriers that prevent them from attending formal school — including providing economic support and domestic labour, financial hardship, family responsibilities, or systemic challenges. Rather than wait for perfect conditions, SLI meets them where they are.
Our goal is not to replace formal education but to give them essential literacy, life skills, and hope — laying a foundation they can build on when opportunities arise. Rather than wait for perfect conditions, we bring learning to them — planting seeds of spirituality, literacy and purpose, even in hard places.
And where possible, we help them transition back to formal learning. But first, we reach them where they are.
Our classes are short, simple, and powerful. We meet children where they are — often in their homes, workplaces or neighborhoods — and work with them 1:1 or in small groups for just 1 hour a day, 4 days a week.
Each session combines reading, devotions, conversation, and practical learning. It’s not school — it’s family, faith, and future-building.
Absolutely — especially when done consistently and intentionally.
While it may seem small, one focused hour, four days a week, builds spiritual devotion, reading skills, confidence, and critical thinking over time. For many of our children, it’s their first real experience with learning that is personal, encouraging, and effective. Little by little, it opens up a future they didn’t think was possible. One hour of focused attention can shift a child’s entire sense of possibility.
No, SLI isn’t a traditional school. It’s a flexible discipleship and literacy model that meets children right where they are — in homes, communities, or workspaces. Think of it as a bridge: we help them cross over from limitation to learning, from being forgotten to being seen.
We teach children how to have a relationship with God, read, think, and grow. Our curriculum includes basic literacy, Bible basics and devotions and personal development.
Yes. We are deeply rooted in Christian values. Every child we meet is introduced to the love of God, the truth of Scripture, and the habit of prayer.
We believe a child’s identity in Christ is just as important as their literacy — and both matter for their future.
You can support in three powerful ways: Give. Serve. Share.
Your donation helps us reach more children. Your time or skills can serve a community. And your voice can spread hope.
For the safety, privacy, and dignity of the children we serve, SLI sessions are not open to public visits.
Only trained, vetted, and authorized team members or volunteers are permitted to attend. We take child protection seriously and maintain strict safeguarding standards in all our communities.
If you’d like to support or get involved, we’d love to guide you through the appropriate next steps.
A Certified Shepherd is more than a volunteer — they are trained, trusted, and proven mentors who lead SLI learning hubs.
Each Certified Shepherd has undergone training, observation, practicum, and supervised deployment, and has shown success with at least three children in the following areas:
Leading a child to Christ
Helping children build a strong relationship with God through Bible Basics and consistent devotions
Supporting literacy growth by at least one level
Teaching a child to read from scratch
Helping a child find hope, purpose, and a sense of identity
They don’t just teach — they walk with children toward transformation, one hour at a time.
SLI is powered by people who believe in purpose.
We are currently 100% funded by donations — from individuals, families, and organisations who want to invest in the future of these children. Every naira, dollar, or gift counts.
Yes. We are deeply rooted in Christian values. Every child we meet is introduced to the love of God, the truth of Scripture, and the habit of prayer.
We believe a child’s identity in Christ is just as important as their literacy — and both matter for their future.