Haiti's Need for Literacy Training

Learning to read and write is so common in North America we often take it for granted. The people of Haiti do not. Fewer than one in four Haitians can read Although the current democratically elected government has shown some commitment to making education more widely available, years of neglect by past rulers has taken a heavy toll. Today, fewer than a quarter of school-age Haitian children complete grade school, and only 1% graduate from high school.

The lack of educational opportunities has contributed to Haiti's many social problems. Haiti has the highest infant mortality rate, the highest level of malnutrition, and the lowest life expectancy of any nation in the Western hemisphere. In spite of working tremendously hard, eight out of ten Haitians earn on average less than one dollar a day. They desperately want a better life. They know that learning to read is absolutely crucial. They simply lack the opportunity.

An illiterate Haitian has little hope of escaping poverty. But as participants begin to read for the first time, a new world of hope and opportunity opens up before them. As Nacia Laurant, a Haitian mother of five and recent graduate of a literacy center said, "When you don't know how to read it's as if your eyes have been gouged out; but then when you learn to read you can suddenly see clearly."

For the first time newly literate farmers have access to a wealth of information on better farming techniques, allowing them to better feed their families and communities. Books on nutrition, sanitation, and preventative health practices help families conquer the host of preventable illnesses that plague Haiti. Participants can record business transactions, write letters, read contracts and forms. The shame of illiteracy vanishes. The Bible becomes an open book for participants seeking spiritual nourishment, and literacy enables them to participate more fully in the life of their church. Literacy also protects Haitians from exploitation, fortifies democracy, and strengthens the economic prospects of every citizen.