Literacy Bridge program begins in Ghana

Literacy Bridge, a Seattle volunteer-staffed nonprofit targeting worldwide literacy, said it has launched a new program in northern Ghana, in western Africa.

Literacy Bridge officials said the program took 18 months to research and develop and centers around the organization’s “Talking Book” device, an audio computer that costs less than $10.

The devices are aimed at helping Ghana schoolchildren and farmers learn more about diseases and agriculture, according to the nonprofit.

The devices’ effectiveness will be monitored by Literacy Bridge volunteers and undergraduate interns from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“The Talking Book devices enable students and parents to practice reading skills in the absence of an educator or as a complement to formal education,” Literacy Bridge officials said in a statement.