Foglio x CODE: When Self-Publishing Helps Girls Stay in School
For more than a decade I have helped Canadian authors shape their books from manuscript to market. Today I want to share something close to my heart. It is about books, yes, but it is also about giving girls a real chance to learn.
On World Literacy Day, we are announcing a new partnership between Foglio and CODE, a Canadian charity that has supported education and literacy for more than sixty five years. In Liberia, many girls start school late, face pressure to leave, and never finish primary school. These are not just numbers. They are lives that could be different if someone opened a door.
That is what this partnership is for.
Why this partnership now
When I first read the data from Liberia, I could not treat it as a set of distant facts. It felt like a set of stories ending too soon. I searched for a group that knew how to change the conditions on the ground and found CODE. Their work is practical, local, and proven. You can read their announcement of our partnership here: Foglio and CODE launch partnership on World Literacy Day. We also built a page that explains our plan and tracks progress: Foglio x CODE.
We are joining forces to support CODE’s Girls’ Accelerated Learning Initiative or GALI. GALI helps over-age girls, ages twelve to sixteen, catch up fast through tutoring, books, mentoring, and life skills. Many advance two grades in one year. Instead of dropping out, they rejoin their peers and stay in school.
How your book funds a seat in GALI
Starting today, 10 percent of every Foglio publishing package goes to CODE’s GALI program. The money funds concrete things: trained tutors, culturally relevant books, healthy snacks, and mobile learning labs filled with tablets and curated content. One mobile lab can change a school. It can cost as little as $5,195, which is an amount we can all understand and rally behind.
We set a shared goal with CODE for this year: help 850 girls take part in GALI. Every author helps. For example, one Momentum Package moves us about 10 percent of the way to a full lab. One Ulysses Package moves us more than one fifth of the way there. Your book funds real resources in a real classroom.
If you want details on what is included in our packages, start here: Self-Publishing Packages.
What you still get from Foglio
Nothing changes about the care we bring to your book. You will receive the same hands-on support our authors know and trust.
Cover design that leads the market. See Book Cover Design.
Professional book formatting and typesetting that match your genre, voice, and audience. See Formatting and Typesetting.
Editing from first pass to polish. See Editing Services.
Ebook design and validation so your EPUB passes on Amazon, Kobo, and Apple Books. See eBook Design and Validation.
Distribution guidance from ISBN to metadata to platform setup. A quick primer is in our post Mastering Book Metadata for Canadian Self-Publishers.
Your project stays a Foglio project from start to finish. The only change is that your book now opens a door for a girl who needs it.
Why Liberia, and why CODE
Liberia is a country where the barriers for girls are deep and social. Late school entry. Early marriage. Pressure to work instead of study. CODE understands this context and has local teams and library partners in place. GALI targets the exact points where girls fall behind and gives them a plan to catch up.
If you want to go deeper, read CODE’s overview of the program on their site or visit our rollout page here: Foglio x CODE. We chose CODE because they are a Canadian charity with a long record of results, clear reporting, and respect for local teachers and communities.
What impact looks like in real terms
Impact is not an abstract promise. It is seen in attendance, reading levels, and grade completion. GALI tracks these. We will share updates in The Inkwell, our newsletter, and on our partnership page. We will report the number of girls enrolled, labs funded, and schools served. When possible, we will share stories from classrooms in Liberia, with respect for privacy and consent.
If you want your book to matter in the world before it even launches, this is a simple way to do it.
How to take part
If you are working on a book, book a free consultation and tell us about it. We will map the path from draft to launch, and your package will fund GALI from day one.
Book a free consultation: Schedule now
Learn about the partnership: Foglio x CODE
Read CODE’s announcement: Foglio and CODE partnership
If you are not writing a book right now, but you know someone who is, share this post with them. You can also donate directly to CODE on their website if you prefer to give outside a publishing project.
A quick word on our craft
People sometimes ask if this kind of give-back will pull focus from the work. The answer is no. Great books still need a strong cover, readable pages, and a clean ebook. That craft is our daily work. If anything, this partnership makes us more careful. It reminds us why books matter and who gets left behind when reading is a privilege and not a norm.
If you want a refresher on how we bring a book to market, these posts are a good place to start:
FAQs about Foglio x CODE
Does every Foglio publishing package include a donation to GALI
Yes. Ten percent of the package fee goes to CODE for the Girls’ Accelerated Learning Initiative. We will batch gifts and share updates on totals raised.
Can I increase my impact beyond the built-in gift
Yes. You can donate directly to CODE and note the Foglio partnership. You can also sponsor a tablet lab through your company or author circle. Contact us and we will connect you.
Is my gift tax deductible
The built-in gift is made by Foglio to CODE. If you make a direct donation to CODE, they can issue a charitable receipt in Canada, subject to their policies.
How will I know what my book helped fund
We will publish progress updates on Foglio x CODE and in The Inkwell. We will also share milestones from CODE’s reporting, such as labs funded and girls enrolled.
Does this change delivery timelines or service quality
No. Our process and standards stay the same. See Cover Design and Formatting and Typesetting for what to expect, and read client stories across the blog.
A closing thought
We love books because they change lives. They give shape to memory, carry ideas across time, and let you meet minds you would never meet otherwise. With this partnership, your book also moves a hand across a page in a classroom far from home. A girl reads, learns, and keeps going.
If you are ready to make your book and make a difference at the same time, book your free consultation. We will take care of the craft you can see and the logistics you cannot see. CODE and GALI will take care of the classroom. Together, we will open more doors.
