“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” ~Frederick Douglass

“Literacy arouses hopes, not only in society as a whole but also in the individual who is striving for fulfilment, happiness and personal benefit by learning how to read and write. Literacy... means far more than learning how to read and write... The aim is to transmit... knowledge and promote social participation.”~ UNESCO

I saw what rural literacy looks like today.

A great group had turned up for our livestock training sessions all week long. They came everyday. Why were they attending? Their answer was very simple- they wanted a better life for their children. For me, this was reason enough. After all of the training sessions were complete, this group of 31 members, would be organized into groups of accountability and problem solving. Each member of the groups would receive the livestock they had applied for- cows, pigs or chickens. The livestock loan would then have to be re-paid after a certain amount of time.

The sessions were shaky, but okay. It was our groups first time at this whole livestock thing. There was a language barrier. There were many unknowns involved in the process. Then it came time to teach record keeping. I knew the literacy rate was low, but usually in my past experiences, number literacy tends to be a bit higher. Out of 31 group members, 1 was able to record her own numbers for herself. This was a problem. We came up with a solution- bring someone in your family who can write for you.

We held the last session of training. Each member brought a scribe with them- a child- and many of these children struggled to write themselves. But this livestock was so incredibly important to the family, that the child would be trained in keeping records. A few of the members could not even produce a child of their own to write for them and so another member's child would record keep for both.

It was a hot room. There wasn't an empty seat in the place. We'd finished all the lessons, all of the training, all of the information had been covered. It was time to fill out the paperwork... loan applications, group agreements, etc.

I saw what rural literacy looked like today- when not one, no not one, could sign their own name to their loan document.

Instead, a red fingerprint was pressed next to their name- which someone else had written.

This was a most humbling experience. I can't remember a time when I couldn't read or write. I simply sign my name to all kinds of things, often times with very little thought to how powerful that signature actually is.

Once the documents had all been fingerprinted, the livestock recipients could not be prouder of being a member of such a group.

The committee who worked on this project was AMAZING! No matter what obstacle they encountered, they stepped up and figured things out. They learned a ton and taught me so much. I have nothing but great respect for the difficult work they did.

Thanks to all those givers out there who helped make this project a reality. Many people sponsored an animal for a family. Your donation is genuinely appreciated. You have made a beautiful difference that will only keep on giving!