The Need for Adult Literacy Training

The phrase ‘It’s as easy as ABC’ suggests simplicity, something which doesn’t require work, an effortless task. It also highlights that we take basic knowledge for granted.

When visiting various villages a number of years ago to help spread knowledge about sustainable farming Steve Lellelid, of our partner Satraha, discovered his leaflets were useless, as not many people could read. Out of this his passion for adult literacy was born.

In Madagascar, over 25% of the population are illiterate. As you look closer at the figures, the scale of the problem becomes more troubling:

-          28.43% of those aged 15 and over can’t read

-          More than 60% of females aged over 65 can’t read

-          Male and females over 65 average a literacy rate of 49.37% 

Given these figures include urban areas, the prevalence of illiteracy amongst Madagascar’s rural population is likely to be higher than these statistics suggest. 71% of the Madagascar households are involved in farming. Financial illiteracy is also a hinderance to the advancement of the farming community. The majority of adults (57%) have primary education or less, with a recent survey finding that the average financial literacy score of all Malagasy adults is 54%.

That’s a lot of statistics so, in summary, literacy and financial literacy are barriers we want to help the people of Madagascar overcome.

Our adult literacy training programme, which runs for six months each year, is delivered by our partner Satraha through teachers at over 300 learning centres across the Androy region in the South of Madagascar. Over 8,500 people have passed through our literacy programme in 2017, with over 30,000 people during the past five years.

The results from the programme are encouraging with continual improvement in reading, writing and maths grades. The knowledge gained is helping both the individuals and their communities through employment, basic financial accounting and report writing skills.

We really appreciate the support of donors for this work and for the hard work of Satraha, through Steve Lellelid and his team, in delivering such effective and vital training.

If you, your family, workplace or company would like to support our Adult Literacy Programme for 2018, please contact us via email or give us a call on 02890446361.