International Literacy Day

Yes, Literacy. Something I think we all take for granted in the U.S. However, I had the opportunity to tutor reading skills to children at the Boys & Girls Club while I lived in Tampa. I was appalled at the skills these children DID NOT possess. While the U.S. may be on the forefront of industry and technology, our country still suffers from many of the same situations of the 3^rd world countries. Literacy is only one of the many. Literacy is a HUMAN RIGHT! All human beings deserve to be able to read. Without this skill, a person can never truly be independent and care for him/herself.

According to the C.I.A., over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women!! Around the globe, 72.1 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out. Many of these children are girls. These extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2103.html)

September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world.