Global Literacy Matters

You would be hard pressed to find a country that has escaped the economic crisis unscathed. The economic crisis is indeed a global crisis. There are no winners. However, there are certainly losers; some, bigger losers than others. Since 2001, the gender-wage ratio has not improved. "Women are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. The disparity is even greater for women of color: African-American women make 62 cents and Latinas make only 53 cents for every dollar of male earnings." [1] It is apparent that around the world, women have experienced the brunt of the economic crisis. " The global economic crisis is expected to plunge a further 22 million women into unemployment, which would lead to a female unemployment rate of 7.4 percent. " Further, given that women have a limited access to education, they tend to work lower paying jobs. And with a lack of education, they tend to have fewer skills and will ultimately end up out of work sooner. Unfortuna...

ProLiteracy's partners in Kenya recently celebrated Adult Learners' Week at the beginning of September. Once a year, members of the literacy community and staff of Kenya Adult Learners' Association (KALA) get together to celebrate the accomplishments of adult learners and raise awareness of about adult illiteracy. This year the event coincided with International Literacy Day. It was also the first time that KALA collaborated with the Kenyan government for Adult Learners Week. Adult learners were encouraged and given the opportunity to share their personal stories. Participants realized that they too have the voice and power to speak, and be advocates for their rights to sustainable education through participation and interaction with other adult learners from Kenya and outside of the country. Literacy has enabled them to become self sufficient because they can now bake breads, cakes, and run income generating businesses to support their families. Their lives have been chan...

International Literacy Day Niger Micro-Credit in Africa, Inc. (MICA, Inc.) Micro-Credit in Africa is devoted to the education and empowerment of women in Niger. MICA works to improve the socioeconomic status of women by helping them gain economic autonomy through micro-credit, health, and literacy education projects. MICA’s flagship program is its Oxcart Project. As an income-generating project, MICA rents oxcarts to women in its programs. The women in turn rent their transportation services to people in their community. With these rental revenues, the women can then purchase the oxcart from MICA. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women receive the necessary tools and materials to learn and prosper such as income generating supplies for henna design, oxcart provisions, needed health supplies and literacy books. Our goal is to raise just $220 a day as we countdown to International Literacy Day on September 8, 2009. Help us help them through strengthening the p...

International Literacy Day Mexico Proyectos Laubach de Alfabetización en Mexico, Asociación Civil, PLAMAC This woman-focused educational organization works in economically and socially marginalized communities that receive few public services, particularly in the realm of education. All of the communities have women’s savings clubs, in which women individually save small amounts of money in a communal chest or savings box. Literacy instruction is based in part on the weekly meetings of women coming together to deposit money into the savings box and includes record-keeping and numeric skills. Over time, the women begin to develop business plans for the use of the savings; income-generating projects include livestock cooperatives, bakeries, and small stores. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women receive the tools necessary to learn and prosper such as notebooks to better keep track of funds and literacy materials to encourage safe and smart investing. Our goal i...

International Literacy Day South Africa Operation Upgrade Based in the city of Durban, Operation Upgrade emphasizes native languages and English literacy within the context of varied community and institutional structures, including squatter slums, rural villages, impoverished townships and workplaces. Operation Upgrade teaches adults to read in Zulu, Venda, Sepedi, Setswana, Xitsonga , Sesotho, and English . With the help of a growing network of 5,000 trained community facilitators throughout the country, the organization battles the problems of poverty, malnutrition, and HIV/AIDS through literacy based micro-entrepreneurship initiatives and health classes. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women and men receive the tools necessary to learn and prosper such as literacy materials and seed money for income generating farming supplies. Our goal is to raise just $220 a day as we countdown to International Literacy Day on September 8, 2009...

International Literacy Day Ethiopia EHRCEPA The Ethiopian Human Rights and Civic Education Promotion Association (EHRCEPA) is an Ethiopian non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting human rights, providing voter education, and fighting harmful traditional practices, particularly those that affect women. Through “door to door” education and counseling, workshops, panel discussions, and school drama competitions, EHRCEPA encourages participants to address controversial women’s rights and citizenship issues. During the traditional village-level “coffee ceremony,” men and women use pictures, skits, songs, or dances to discuss sensitive issues such as individual rights, early marriage, abduction, domestic violence, and female genital mutilation. EHRCEPA also conducts workshops with business, civic, religious, and local government leaders on voter education, good governance, and elections. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women and men receive the tools nec...

International Literacy Day Brazil Associação Beneficente de Vila Cachoeira (ABVC) ABVC serves residents of Vila Cachoeira, an area once abundant in cacao. The region experienced a cacao crisis due to a plague that destroyed the crops, and therefore people lost their main means of generating income. ABVC is helping residents to find new ways of generating income and recently has opened a community kitchen. Women are learning new recipes-along with literacy and math skills necessary to follow the directions-for desserts and pastries to sell in their communities. It is not only helping women to generate income but also giving them hope for a better future for themselves and their families. By donating to ProLiteracy right now, you will help these women receive the tools necessary to learn and prosper such as ingredients and packing materials for their micro-enterprise projects, as well as notebooks, pens, and chalkboards for literacy classes. Our goal is to raise just $220 a day as we cou...