Family literacy programs striving to meet the needs of many families are faced with various
difficulties, especially those living in disadvantaged communities where literacy levels, poverty,
and other debilitating diseases like HIV/AIDS affect the available resources and the ability of
children to develop early literacy skills. The case study by John Benseman discusses several
challenges that were experienced during the implementation of the Manukau Family Literacy
Project (MFLP) in New Zealand.
Benseman highlighted, in his case study, the challenge of attracting and securing the right
participants for the MFLP. Some of the first intakes had people with reasonable literacy levels,
but they did not fit the program's intended purpose. Some of the adults with high literacy needs
were not admitted because of the perceived difficulties they would face in handling the literacy
requirements of the courses. Family literacy programs have challenges in defining and reaching
out to the intended target group, a factor that could also be true for South African interventions.
Furthermore, Benseman (2006) points out that personal crises were invasive and interfered with
participants' coursework, leading to frequent absences, inability to meet course requirements, and
withdrawal from the program.
Likewise, the lack of a structured network of family literacy programs in South Africa poses
difficulties in tracking the extent of such efforts, affecting funding and resource mobilization
(Wasik, 2012). Both contexts also stress the need to attract and retain competent human
resources. These problems must be addressed. The difficulties faced by the MFLP in New
Zealand are similar to the problems discussed in Chapter 24 regarding family literacy programs
in South Africa. In both contexts, there is a need to foster cooperation between the different
sectors of education, including early childhood, primary, and adult education. Benseman (2006)
points out the challenges in comprehending various terminologies, working approaches,
organizational structures, and philosophies in these sectors. Cooperation and collaboration, as
mentioned in Molosiwa's case study, are necessary. Funding limitations and staffing difficulties
also appear to be mundane concerns. According to Benseman (2006), there is always a challenge
in identifying the right funding sources that can cater to the age and the various aspects of family
literacy programs. Similarly, the absence of a coherent network of family literacy programs in
South Africa hampers the identification of the extent of such initiatives, thus complicating
funding and resource acquisition (Wasik, 2012). These are issues that need to be solved well in
order to achieve the goals of family literacy programs.
