The Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy (MILL), formerly known as the Molteno Project, is a charity organisation that funds literacy programmes and research across Africa, from its headquarters in Johannesburg.[1]
It was established in 1974, funded by the Molteno Brothers Trust from which it derives its name. It began as the Molteno Project, a large research project on problems with school pupils' acquisition of English literacy, based at Rhodes University. The research recommendations included incorporating mother-tongue material in literacy courses for children. When this conclusion was confirmed by positive results, the project rolled out graded readers across the continent and adapted into 52 African languages.[2]
In 2008 it had taught more than 10 million learners across the African continent to read and write, making it one of the largest literacy providers in Africa.[3]