For too many people in developing countries, reading this news article is a luxury sadly out of their reach. According to UNESCO, one in five adults worldwide is still not literate, unable to read or write. Two-thirds of these people are women, while 67.4 million children globally have no access to education at all. On 8 September each year, the world celebrates International Literacy Day, drawing attention to literacy as basic human right and reminding us that there are still millions of men, women and children who are unable to sign their name, read a book or even write a simple note. For many people living in poverty, literacy is an unaccomplished goal – one that stops them from reaching their full potential. But there’s more to literacy than being able to read a book. A ‘tool of personal empowerment’, literacy is a means of social development. Most educational opportunities depend on literacy, as do the majority of employment options. UNESCO notes, "Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy." According to The Economist, in Bihar, India, 67% of women are illiterate. Opportunity International Australia works in areas like Bihar through our network of microfinance partners in India, Indonesia and the Philippines, serving people in poverty with microfinance loans that allow them to start a small business and earn an income. This income allows them to be able to afford to send their children to school where they can learn to read and write, gaining invaluable skills for the future.
If you want to help people out of poverty and allow them to gain access to basic human rights such as education and literacy, you can help provide microfinance loans in honour of International Literacy Day. Click here to donate – one in five people unable to read or write is not a statistic that has to remain.
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