The average illiteracy rate amongst the adult population in Mozambique is around 53.6%. It reaches higher rates in the rural areas (65.7%) – where ALG is more active – than in urban areas (30.3%) and it is more predominant in women (68%) than in men (36.7%). This year, ALG started financing small Literacy Courses for adults in the Chongoene area. Following strong local demand, classes started in January in the communities of Conjoene and Banhine. The majority of moms attending the course have children being sponsored by ALG’s Portuguese sister-charity. The ALG literacy courses are aimed at empowering local villagers to:
- Learn and develop the use of the alphabet system of reading and writing, as well as basic mathematics
- Engaged learning, i.e. students to think about their life story and what can change after the literacy course;
- Development of personal, social and cultural skills.
Now moms start their day around 5 a.m. working in the village farms and after lunch they “run” home to change and go to the classes with a great joy, motivation and a contagious smile.
By the end of the program 35 moms were so enthusiastic with their learning that they requested to have sewing and arts & crafts classes next year. This will be a project to be financed in 2013!
https://mydonate.bt.com/events/algxmascalendar2012