Alma- Literacy in Developing Countries

An issue that faces our generation today, more prominently in developing and third world countries is illiteracy. Literacy: learning to read and write is a fundamental to our own Western culture. Without it, we wouldn’t’ have the jobs we have today, the technology we have come to depend on, or the education system that took years to establish. In countries like Ethiopia and South Sudan where the literacy rate is lowest, living conditions and quality of life is lower. Children can’t afford to go to school and learn to read, and as they get older the opportunity slowly disappears because their hardships in life get in their way. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic and social development of a country in our rapidly changing, technology-driven world.

Figure 1 Map of Global Literacy Rates retrieved from: en.wikipedia.org

Ethiopia:

            Ethiopia has one of the lowest literacy rates globally. Only 42.7% of the country’s total population 15 years of age or older are literate, with 35.1% of that percentage being female and 50.3% being male. Ethiopia has such a low rate for the following reasons:

• Extreme poverty
• Although their economy is growing at a faster rate nowadays, it might take years for it to be fully regained.
• Poor infrastructure
• There aren’t enough schools and they are often very far away for the students to attend.

What is positive about Ethiopia is that they have taken steps to increase their literacy rate. They took the following steps:

• Literacy campaigns in 1976
• By 1980 more people could read, and most of their students were women
• Spending over 40 percent of its budget on infrastructure development, public works, schools, health and roads
• This will help the school systems by:
• Educating their children
• Creating more and better jobs
• Increasing stability

More about Ethiopia:

http://www.voanews.com/content/despite-fast-growth-ethiopia-still-plagued-by-poverty/1560496.html

South Sudan:

South Sudan has the lowest literacy rate with only 27% of their total population deemed illiterate. 16% are female and 40% are male. Similar to the situation in Ethiopia, education is not lie in Western society and often not available to the public, especially the poor part of the population. South Sudan has proportionately fewer girls going to school than any other country in the world.  Five decades of war and upheaval has had in inevitable impact on education. Almost three quarters of the adults in this new country can read and write. The country has struggled to build an education system for its children and the adults that missed out during the war. The reasons that South Sudan is illiterate are:

·  Extreme poverty

o       Brought on by the War

·        Revolutionary War

o       Destroyed buildings, families and infrastructures

But on the positive side, the government of South Sudan is slowly but surely re-building a country and education is its top priority.

To learn more about South Sudan and its education plans:

http://www.irinnews.org/report/96237/analysis-south-sudan-struggles-to-meet-demand-for-education

            Illiteracy has many negative effects. It can hold the person back and keep them there because their opportunities aren’t the same. Effects include:

·        Loss of jobs

o       If you can’t read, occupations are limited no matter what country you’re living in

§         Even if you have a job that doesn’t require reading or writing, chances are that the job doesn’t pay very well.

·        Oppression

o       Often when a person isn’t properly educated, they are held back and oppressed because they are labeled as ‘illiterate’ or unfairly, dumb or stupid.

o       This happens more in Western cultures, but the idea still applies

Although illiteracy is a prominent issue in the world, there are ways to help combat it. NGO’s like UNICEF and The Literacy Foundation are finding new ways to contribute to the issue and help to resolve it. Strategies like:

·         Facilitate knowledge transfer from workers nearing retirement to employees of all ages.

·         Work with families to keep children in school and prevent illiteracy.

·         Give young people from underprivileged backgrounds the means to study.

To learn more about these NGO’s:

http://www.fondationalphabetisation.org/en/adults/illiteracy_literacy/potential_solutions/

http://www.unicef.org/index.php

If steps like these are taken, the lives of the people in that country will improve. With literacy come more human and women’s rights, a better economy, better infrastructure and better health. Therefore, the people in countries like Ethiopia and South Sudan will have a better quality of life. It will lead to:

• Better job opportunities (prerequisite for access to lifelong learning)
• Greater effectiveness at work
• Greater competitiveness
• More dynamic, enthusiastic workforce
• Greater productivity
• Stronger economy
• Better occupational health and safety record
• Higher retention levels (employees and clients)

Illiteracy is a World issue and I know personally, that I would be lost if I couldn’t read or write. It has contributed to my own life; Ii only seems fair that more people in developing countries should have at least half the chance that I was privileged with.