What Does It Look like to Learn How to Read and Spell, for Adults in Particular?

To learn how to read and spell, for adults especially, creates confidence, hope and opportunities, both for the individuals and their families.

UNESCO estimates that 773 million adults are illiterate worldwide; most of these adults are women.1 Illiteracy disproportionately affects women for many reasons, and those barriers often begin years before. Barriers to educating girls include lack of menstruation education and products, societal biases, child marriage and gender-based violence. Girls may need additional support to attend school and build literacy.

Every man and woman has a unique story about how poverty and illiteracy impact their lives. Illiteracy was a lifelong struggle for Jeni.2

When she was a young girl, Jeni’s family experienced dire poverty that prevented her from attending school. Jeni could not read books, newspapers or street signs; She could not read to her five children or help them with their homework. Illiteracy deprived Jeni of opportunities for joy and learning every day.

In Jeni’s early twenties, her husband grew very ill and died, leaving her responsible for raising her children alone. Jeni worked as a tailor for meager pay to provide for her family.

Many years later, Jeni’s adult children were married with children. When she watched her grandchildren do their school work, she longed to learn how to read to help them and connect with them.

Jeni started attending a local worship service and grew to know and love Jesus. However, she still could not read, so the Bible was inaccessible. Three GFA women missionaries learned about Jeni’s desire to read and helped her enroll in a literacy class. Jeni started attending literacy classes to learn how to read and write and build relationships with other women in her community. Six months later, Jeni was literate!

GFA’s literacy classes helped Jeni build skills to read her Bible, help her grandchildren with homework and navigate everyday tasks with ease. Literacy brings Jeni joy and new opportunities.


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