Adult Literacy Classes
Educating women and girls is one of the most effective ways to improve living standards and health. Having an education can make an enormous difference to a woman’s chances of finding well-paid work and raising a healthy family.
Women education has also been shown to prevent the spread of diseases, such as HIV. Moreover, data from a UNICEF report (2005), showed that children whose mothers have had no education are more then twice likely to be out of school than children whose mothers have had some education.
In developing countries, 75% of children out of school have mothers with no education.
In Uganda, girls account for 47% of total enrollment in primary school and 32% at the secondary level. School drop-out rates for girls are high. The gender gap in enrollment between boys and girls reaches 15.7% by the seventh grade. This is a result of the cost of education, early pregnancies, work, sexual violence, and their role in nursing ill family members.
In February 2006, Books Open The World started collaborating with Kibale Women Club in Kanyawara. Together we organized adult literacy classes, English classes and sewing classes in Kanyawara village. We hired one person to teach women to write and read in Rutooro (local language) twice a week and English once a week.
What began simply as a network of community libraries and literacy classes at the Kibale Women’s Club, these libraries now serve as centers for education. Although women were originally targeted for these classes as a way to aid in learning and empowerment, our doors are always open and invite all community members to participate. We began to conduct English, Rutoro, and Rukiga language lessons at the libraries, but soon outgrew the libraries. Now, lessons in Kigarama, Kanyawara, and Ruteete are held in community buildings or primary school classrooms. We are grateful to each of these communities for making space available!
Presently there are adult literacy classes in:
- Nkingo — since January 2007, with 39 students
- Kigarama — since January 2007, with 16 students
- Kanyawara-Ibura — since April 2007, with 46 students
- Ruteete — since May 2007, with 46 students.
Classes are taught by professional teachers from primary or secondary schools, and are supported by the Nando Peretti foundation grant.
In March 2006, BOTW bought a sewing machine for Kibale Women Club, and we hired one member to teach other women sewing.
In May 2007, Kibale Women Club received a second sewing machine from us to start a tailoring business.Literacy and sewing classes also give women an opportunity to meet and do something together for themselves and for the community, besides learning how to write and read.