Giggles and laughter can be heard in the BeadforLife compound along with the sounds of women repeating phrases in English. A class of 20 women is sitting outside under a tent canopy with their teacher Irene. They are excited because they are doing something very important; they are learning English with the hope of bettering their lives.
A few months ago, BeadforLife began teaching literacy classes for both English and Luganda, which is the primary tribal language around the capital city of Kampala. The classes are free, but participants have to pay transportation costs to attend. Undeterred by the cost, about 50 women are now coming faithfully to learn to read and write. For some, this is the first time they have ever learned to read any words or to sign their names! Imagine that you are 40-something and, for the first time, are able to write your name. Imagine the fun of reading signs on the road or even the newspaper. Women can read their bank statements and sign for money they withdraw. Literacy is a life changing skill; it is a step towards independence and personal control.
The literacy class also teaches simple numeracy, understanding numbers. Basic math skills will allow the women to keep books for their new businesses, calculate expenses, and understand money and change. They will be better businesswomen. Our members are keen on beating poverty back and are willing to do whatever will advance their chances. We are proud of our literacy students.
Basic Facts about Literacy
- Literacy is the ability to read, write, compute, and use technology at a level that enables an individual to reach his or her full potential as a parent, employee, and community member.
- There are 774 million adults around the world who are illiterate in their native languages.
- Two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
- In the U.S., 30 million people over age 16 - 14 percent of the country’s adult population - don’t read well enough to understand a newspaper story written at the eighth grade level or fill out a job application.
- The United States ranks fifth on adult literacy skills when compared to other industrialized nations.
- Adult low literacy can be connected to almost every socio-economic issue in the United States:
- More than 60 percent of all state and federal corrections inmates can barely read and write.
- Low health literacy costs between $106 billion and $238 billion each year in the U.S. - 7 to 17 percent of all annual personal health care spending.
- Low literacy’s effects cost the U.S. $225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce, crime, and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment.
- Globally, illiteracy can be linked to:
- Gender abuse, including female infanticide and female circumcision
- Extreme poverty (earning less than $1/day)
- High infant mortality and the spread of HIV/Aids, malaria, and other preventable infectious disease
To learn more about Adult Literacy and how you can get involved check out the following websites: ProLiteracy and World Education
Tags: Africa, Education, Empowering Women, literacy, Uganda