Big E Little e

Today I read an account of a 17 year-old girl who is part of a literacy program MCC supports in the northern part of Guatemala.

Illiteracy rates there are the highest in the country. Most people don't pass 6th grade, usually dropping out to work or help at home. The poverty rates are so high that most people spend their days trying to meet their primary needs. Learning to read and write are not necessary to survive and therefore are not a priority.

That's right. If you can read my words right now, you are privileged in a way you may have never thought about before. You can read and write. You probably didn't wake up today focused on where you would find water or food to feed your family.

My three-year old is learning to read and write. We practice her letters and numbers and sounding out words and rhymes. I forget at times that this is an opportunity I too easily take for granted. She's three and she can write her name. She's years ahead of so many in poverty.

The girl in the story I read today had to quit school when she was 11 because her father died and she had to help her mom with household chores. She works the fields, sews traditional dresses to sell, and works with her mom at home.

When a literacy program came to the area, she enrolled without her mom knowing. Her mom wasn't happy at first, but when she discovered that the simple tools like paper and pens were provided, she realized it was a good opportunity. She wants her child to have a better life than what she has had.

This 17 year-old just finished 6th grade. She's now more educated than the majority of her neighbors, friends, and family. She hopes to be a teacher someday.

I was inspired by this story and so many like it. MCC supports adult literacy programs in the area and every time I hear a story from a literacy student I remember how basic a privilege it is to be able to read and write.

How am I using my own ability to read and write to make a difference in the lives of others?