There are few things more hopeful than watching a child discover they can read.

In the northern region of Argentina, thousands of children face a quiet kind of heartbreak: finishing second grade unable to read or write. 

In this region—served by the Santa Teresita Franciscan Missionary Center, part of the OFM Provincia San Francisco Solano—Franciscan Friars have walked with the people of Aguaray for generations. They have witnessed firsthand how poverty, malnutrition, teacher shortages, and a lack of educational resources have held back the youngest and most vulnerable. 

That’s why the Franciscan Friars in Aguaray launched the Mateo Literacy Project.

The Mateo Program is a literacy model built on science, community wisdom, and Franciscan compassion. It started in 2021, when the Friars and their partners began training 74 primary school teachers, 33 bilingual educators, and even local mothers—to teach reading not only in schools but in homes, churches, and community spaces.   

By 2023, the project had reached 1,800 children directly and touched the lives of over 35,000 people in the region.  

Though the Mateo project serves 24 primary schools, the work extends far beyond the classroom. Eight community literacy spaces now offer after-school support and early learning led by women trained through the program. For this area, the Mateo Project is becoming a joyful festival of learning.

Because nearly 70% of second-grade students couldn’t read at grade level, and most homes have no books. Reading wasn’t part of the rhythm of daily life. 

But now, a mother hears her child read aloud for the first time. A teacher, once overwhelmed, feels equipped. A young girl writes her name with pride. These small, special moments echo through the region.

In 2022, culturally relevant bilingual materials were created, including a beautifully illustrated second-grade reader titled Cuentan los abuelos—The Grandparents Tell Stories.  

In 2023, a team of regional trainers emerged, ready to carry the program forward.    

And this year, the Friars are expanding the project to reach more neighborhoods—especially those where teacher strikes and resource shortages make schooling inconsistent. They’ve even garnered the attention and support of new provincial education leaders.    

The friars serving Aguaray are committed to continuing their work—helping children learn to read and write, and giving families a way out of the cycle of poverty that comes with limited access to education.

It is the quiet, persistent belief that every child deserves to know their worth—and that knowing how to read can open doors to dignity, possibility, and joy. 

And thanks to the generosity of our Franciscan Missions’ supporters, that belief is taking root, one story at a time.

Follow along with the Mateo project in Aguaray