While many of the languages in Africamay be related, and inter-comprehensible, it is also amultilingual continent, where a relatively high proportionof the population speaks, or understands more than onelanguage. However, the distribution of languages is notuniform. The reasons are both topographical, and political:dense forests, numerous, rivers, thus hampering bothtransport, and communications. The note identifies the workof a local nongovernmental organization, established bycommunity members to prod literacy instruction centers inWest Africa. Primary education completion exams - which mustbe taken in French, and govern admission to secondaryschooling, reveal that children who started education intheir mother tongue, performed on average, significantlybetter than graduates of standard primary schools. The notefurther examines case studies in different countries,revealing this change is most pronounced in Francophonecountries, where little recognition was given to Africanlanguages, exemplifying the literacy gains ofmultilingualism, as well as an increased articulation ofindigenous knowledge. Multilingualism for one, provides asense of local ownership, enhancing cultural and politicalassets, and, this "indigenous" effort at knowledgeconstruction, will seemingly survive, because it is owned bylocal actors, founded on local economic, and social necessity.
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