Three organizations -- one from Guatemala, one from India and one from South Africa -- received the 32nd UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for promoting literacy in developing countries.

UNESCO awarded the prize to Limitless Horizons Ixil in Guatemala, the National Institute of Open Schooling in India and the Puku Children’s Literature Foundation in South Africa, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Limitless Horizons Ixil is a nongovernmental organization that supports academic and personal development among teenagers in the Ixil community of Chajul, Guatemela. It was recognized for developing an interactive literacy program in rural Guatemala for teenagers who could not attend school due to COVID-19.

The National Institute of Open Schooling in Noida, India, under the Indian Ministry of Education, has enabled people with disabilities to access education through technology-involved learning materials in the Indian sign language.

The Puku Children’s Literature Foundation was acclaimed for using digital technologies to promote children’s literature in South Africa’s indigenous languages.

In 1965, UNESCO designated Sept. 8 as International Literacy Day. The Korean Culture Ministry launched the award in 1989 in honor of King Sejong the Great, who led the development of the Korean writing system, Hangeul.

The award ceremony was held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Thursday.

Each of the awardees received a silver medal, an award certificate and $20,000.