International Journal of Educational Development 28 (2008) 405–418 Poverty alleviation and integrated service delivery: Literacy, early child development and health Bjorn Harald Nordtveit à Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China Abstract This paper argues that many internationally financed literacy programs do not sufficiently take into consideration important daily life issues of the learners, including nutritional deficiencies that may hinder learning, or of children–parent–society interactions that may improve learning. As a result, many programs have become synonymous with increased supply of a low-quality education. Often, these programs address almost exclusively Education for All (EFA) international policy targets, without sufficiently addressing other poverty alleviation targets, as defined by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This paper further contends that approaches that would generate the greatest effects within an EFA-perspective may not be the best way to alleviate poverty within a MDGs-perspective. Based on a case study of a women’s literacy program in Senegal, this paper proposes to look at needs within an MDG perspective, and to use multi-pronged and integrated approaches to intervene in sectors where the poverty alleviation impact is the greatest. Current achievements against the MDG indicators show that significant efforts are needed to reduce maternal and child mortality, boost primary school enrollments, and remove obstacles so that a greater number of girls can attend school. One important target group for promoting greater achievements against these indicators would be young adults living in poverty, especially girls and young women. An approach that combines youth and family literacy, early child development (ECD), as well as health and nutrition interventions, could help to break a cycle of poverty that is fundamentally intergenerational in nature. Further, it is argued that integration of these different interventions, which are usually offered as separate services (but addressing essentially the same target group) could be more cost-effective than implementing each component as separate projects. Accordingly, this paper recommends the integration of such services as nutritional ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/ijedudev 0738-0593/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2007.10.004 Abbreviations: AIDS, acquired immune deficiency syndrome; DAEB, Direction de l’Alphabe´tisation et de l’Education de Base (Department of Literacy and Basic Education); ECD, early child development; ECCD, early childhood care and development; ECCE, early childhood care and education; EFA, Education for All; GOS, Government of Senegal; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; ICR, implementation completion report; IGA, income generating Activities; IMF, International Monetary Fund; ITI, intergenerational transmission of illiteracy; ITP, intergenerational transmission of poverty; MDG, Millennium Development Goals; NFE, non-formal education; NGO, non-governmental organization; PPP, public–private partnership; PRSP, poverty reduction strategy paper; SAR, Staff Appraisal Report; STD, sexually transmitted diseases; UN, United Nations; UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (www.unesco.org); UNICEF, United Nations Children Fund (www.unicef.org); UNIFEM, United Nations Development Fund for Women (www.unifem.org); WDR, World Development Report; WFP, World Food Programme (www.wfp.org); WHO, World Health Organization. à Tel.: +86 852 2857 8239; fax: +86 852 2517 4737. E-mail address: bjorn@hku.hk