Lions, Floods, & Poverty: Knocking Down The Barriers Keeping African Kids Out of School

Olivia Wahl

16 March 2026

Part One of my S5E29 @schoolutionspodcast with Dr. Kris Nystrom highlights the critical need for education for all and how a dedicated "teacher" can drive education reform through direct action. It reframes our understanding of social justice in educational contexts and the profound impact of ensuring academic success globally. In Part 1 of this conversation, Kris shares: • How 10 years of global literacy research revealed a crisis hiding in plain sight • What the "four horsemen of educational inequity" are (conflict, climate, geography, and cost) and why they demand a whole child approach • Why good teaching always begins with student culture, and how bypassing that is itself a political act • His community-first protocol for sustainable school building: no savior complex, no top-down solutions • What it's really like when kids walk through lion and leopard territory just to reach a classroom Kris founded Reading the World Inc. in 2024. Nobody takes a salary. Every dollar goes directly to children. Donate here.   🎙️ Part 2 drops this Friday, where we zoom out to the global literacy crisis and why it matters far beyond sub-Saharan Africa. ➡️Resource links   ➡️Paulo Freire  ➡️Umberto Eco  ➡️Charles Sanders Peirce  ➡️Stanislas Dehaene  ➡️Maryanne Wolf  Chapters 0:00 Introduction: Who is Dr. Kris Nystrom? 1:40 Research foundations: Paulo Freire, semiotics, and how the brain reads 4:00 Why culturally responsive teaching is a moral stance 5:00 What is a school desert? The four horsemen of educational inequity 8:00 The real cost barriers keeping kids out of school 10:30 From Connecticut retirement to sub-Saharan Africa 12:30 The philosophical foundation: where you're born shouldn't determine access 13:40 Kris's community-first protocol for building schools 17:00 Lightning round: what keeps Kris up at night, biggest misconceptions 19:30 Preview of Part 2: global literacy and economic ripple effects Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child. 🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content. 📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in. 🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!  #readingtheworld #schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies  #SchoolDeserts #GlobalLiteracy When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.