United Nation Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sponsored a report on Literacy for all in 2005. A section of that report is devoted to “why literacy matters”. To me, that section will be the beginning point in discussing this issue. The above quoted section categorizes the benefits of literacy as human, social, cultural and economic.

Literacy is the ability to read and write. It is the ability to carry out these tasks cognitively and functionally. Literacy ability gives the individual the capacity to decipher both simple and complex literary expressions. The benefit that the person accrues from such ability has to do with uplifting of the dignity of the person. Human dignity emancipates a person from a state of low self esteem to one of self confidence. Individual human development takes place when such precedence has been set. Socially, a literate person increases the chance of better participation in social issues. It also empowers such an individual to fruitfully contribute towards the development of the society without fear. Literacy in social set up speeds homogeneity needed to change the society for better. Culturally literacy has the capability of preservation of societies. It has the potential of enabling the individual to recreate the cultural artifacts that can be preserved for posterity. Economically, literacy provides a means of income. It provides also provides opportunities for self-realization not only of the individual but also of the entire society.

This makes literacy the gateway for eradication of poverty in Africa. During the just concluded national census process in Kenya, the above analysis came out subtly as I went out into the community. Communities in rural Kenya have nil literacy levels in some households. The effect of this is perpetuation of the vicious cycle of poverty. We can define poverty as the inability to access the basics of life such as decent livelihood, healthcare, lack of access to education. In a previous article to Helium on poverty I noted in its totality at the household level, poverty breeds pain all round.

The connection between literacy and poverty in Africa is evident as one traces the literacy situation in a particular household. If the household head is not literate, chances are that no one in the family will be literate. Partly because the head does not value education and partly because of lack there is lack of educational facilities. The net effect is that, for the girl child marriage becomes the normal route at an early age. The girl will get married because she does not have her own self dignity that can empower her to make her own conscious decisions. As UNESCO would put it, as a person she is disadvantaged.

In Africa, the woman plays vital role in the totality of social life. For instance, in the North Eastern part of Kenya and some parts of Coast province, women are like the beast of burdens. They will construct homes, look after the animals, reproduce and nurse the young ones all alone. Men’s role in these societies is that of ceremonial head of home and provider of security. The man owns the animals and everything found within a homestead. However, the woman does the bulk work to keep the home moving. Any attempts to bring about social development in such societies is not only frustrated by this scenario but also by the fact the segment of the society that would be easy to work with is totally voiceless and lacks means of self empowerment.

Such African set-up does not welcome innovation because the base is not only unstable but also missing altogether in some instances. This explains why, processes that require rational analysis are not tolerated. It further explains why armed conflicts are common. They arise as a result of lack of dialogue. Dialogue involves the rational analysis of situation at hand, a fact that is greatly limited by the lack of literacy skills. In such societies, diseases are common. Modernity is abhorred in societies that have low literacy levels and this affects the utilization of modern facilities such as hospitals and modern health care. This does well to aggravate the poverty situation.

The use of modern technology is greatly hampered by lack of literacy levels. In our enumeration exercise during the just concluded census, in some households the members would find it strange that we could use mobile telephones. Modern communication is speedily revolutionizing life not only in the households, but also among big multinationals. In Kenya, the money transfer program using mobile phones is not only interesting but has been used to economically empower rural communities. Those working far from their rural homes have been able to send back money using the service. With low literacy level or where it is lacking all together, this is not possible. The net effect is that the opportunities provided by such innovative modern technologies are missed out. Use of modern technology is not in the line of communication only but also in other vital areas that are key in poverty reduction and eradication.

Modern farming methods for instance require some level of literacy. To improve crop and animal husbandry, the farmers needs to know how to read and understand some basic instructions as found in the packaging materials of seeds, fertilizers, chemicals or presentations by the field extension officers. Lack of literacy skills means that opportunities provided by modern technologies cannot be utilized for poverty reduction.

Efforts should therefore be made to improve the literacy levels of Africa. A society that has high literacy ability expands its opportunities not only for means of economic production, but also for the social and cultural development. As such, no words are enough to express why literacy is the widest gateway for eradicating poverty in Africa.

References:

UNESCO (2005), Education for life, Literacy for all. 7 Place de Fontenoy, Paris.