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Social value of a volunteer-created international reading comprehension program for Peruvian schoolgirls from disadvantaged backgrounds

Authors

Blanco-Navarro, Marta , RUIZ LOZANO, MERCEDES, Chivite-Cebolla, M. Peana , Martin Del Pozo, M. Angeles

External publication

No

Means

Dev. Pract.

Scope

Article

Nature

Científica

JCR Quartile

SJR Quartile

Publication date

07/02/2026

ISI

001685511700001

Abstract

Achieving equity in women's literacy requires tackling specific difficulties through inclusive strategies that promote access, retention, and participation, thereby generating a positive social impact. This research examines the social value created by the international online volunteering program Aprendiendo Contigo (Learning with You), which provided reading comprehension support to a group of disadvantaged schoolgirls in Arequipa (Peru). In 2021, 82 volunteers participated, supporting 120 girls aged 7-17. The methodology combines a case study approach with a social return on investment (SROI) evaluation of social value. The findings allow for the identification and classification of outcomes generated by the program for each stakeholder, particularly improved access to learning for girls and adolescent students confined in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program fostered collaborative initiatives between the educational centre and the non-governmental organisation. This paper contributes to the limited literature on socio-educational experiences in the analysis of social value.

Keywords

Women's literacy; disadvantaged girls and adolescents; online volunteering; Reading comprehension; inclusive education; social return on investment (SROI); social value; non-governmental-organisation

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