The Literacy Lightswitch

by Glenn Fawcett
Lotus Outreach Director of Field Operations

A Lettered WomanWhile we have always been aware of the importance of numeracy and literacy, during the course of interviews with dozens of Non-Formal Education students during my recent monitoring visit on November 17 and 18, I became aware that literacy does more than impact on self worth, and it does more than increase a girl’s capacity to identify and undertake further study and training toward better life options. For many of the women in NFE, attaining literacy is very much like switching the light on in a dark room.

On many occasions the students confirmed that learning reading and writing had a profound impact on their self-esteem as well as the way others regarded and treated them. For instance, before they could read, many tended to stay home rather than put trust in taxi drivers to know where they were and how much it cost to get there, or even to receive back correct change. As women they are already highly vulnerable; as women who can’t read or do math, even more so.

Being able to read road signs, read billboards with health advice, add and subtract and eventually, and interpret and sign simple contracts profoundly lessens a Cambodian woman’s dependence on others and and amplifies her sense of self reliance. The themes of autonomous decision-making and critical thinking were repeated to me again and again on the basis of the prompt, “How has literacy and numeracy changed your life?”

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that those choosing work in the entertainment or sex industries are easily persuaded due to having to trust others to find their way. Lack of money greatly restricts mobility and increases reliance on others to get around. Without mobility it’s very difficult to achieve even basic life objectives. NFE students often describe their developing literacy as coming out of a blankness where they could only rely on others, and into a clarity where they could analyze and decide for themselves based on available options. The class curriculum is geared to enable this type of development.

During the interviews the second important benefit of the NFE course that surfaced is in health care and disease prevention. For young women engaged with multiple partners, avoiding unplanned pregnancies and STDs is fundamental to their survival. Knowing about their bodies, especially where gynecological health is concerned, is of primary importance.

After establishing literacy and thereby sparking the development of critical thinking, the young women of NFE are assisted in creating a life-plan. The steps toward achieving it often include skills training to qualify them for jobs other than beer promotion, karaoke and massage – all of which are slippery slopes toward prostitution.