South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday that Burkina Faso's Association for Promoting Non-Formal Education (APNFE) and Ecuador's Ministry of Education have won this year's King Sejong Literacy Prizes awarded by UNESCO.

Established in 1997, APNFE is a non-government organization campaigning for the eradication of illiteracy among poor people in Burkina Faso. It was recognized for creating the 'Empowerment of Women Living in Extreme Poverty in Burkina Faso' program, which was provided in five local languages.

Ecuador's Ministry of Education was recognized for launching its 'Basic Education for Youth and Adults Project'. Its beneficiaries reached about 320-thousand people since 2011. 

The prizes, created in 1989 and supported by the South Korean government, are for individuals and groups from developing countries who contributed to the eradication of illiteracy in international society. UNESCO has been selecting winners each year and presenting them with the awards each year on September 8, which is International Literacy Day.

This year's award ceremony will be held on September 8, alongside the International Conference on Women's Literacy and Education in Dhaka, Bangladesh.