Have you ever thought about what you’re life would be like if you couldn’t read? How many times a day do you use your literacy skills just to get through day-to-day life? In the United States, books are not always available to children, especially in low-income neighborhoods where the ratio of books to children is as low as 1 book for every 300 children. But access to books and literacy education is not simply a problem in the United States.
Worldwide, there are more than 770 million illiterate adults, two-thirds of whom are women and girls. In addition, there are over 100 million children not currently enrolled in primary school and millions of others not currently enrolled in secondary school.
With the ability to read comes the power to improve the conditions around you. Through reading, one can absorb knowledge, a tool necessary to make a difference. In order to eliminate poverty and suffering around the world, we must help every child and adult gain the gift of literacy.
- Organize a book drive at your school or workplace. The books can then be donated to Room to Read (a charity organization that builds schools, computer labs and libraries, donates books, provides scholarships and publishes books) and will be distributed to communities around the world.
- For $20, you can send two girls in Afghanistan to school. $20 will cover their uniforms and all of their school supplies.
- For $40, you can pay a teacher’s salary for an entire month. Teachers are essential to spreading literacy. Teachers who have to go without pay often leave their jobs for a better paying position.
- Or, simply Click to Give free books through The Literacy Site. It’s legitimate! You’re click will actually provide free books to those communities in need. See my previous post about the Click to Give network for more details.
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Homelessness in the Washington, DC area is a serious issue. More than 12,000 people in the DC area are homeless and many of them are children. The Community of Hope provides several services, one of which is a housing program to homeless families with children. The program provides an environment that is safe for the family and children while offering services to train the family in the life, job and other educational skills needed to help the family end their homelessness and start on a path of independence. Each family is assigned housing, either temporary or transitional, and a case manager that works closely with the family. Children are enrolled in school and signed up for the Community of Hope after school program.
Cleft lip or cleft palate occur when the two sides of a palate do not come together. It results in an opening in the lip, roof of the mouth or back of the mouth. In the United States, 1 out of every 800 children are born with cleft lip or cleft palette. In developing countries, it is about 1 out of every 500-600. Children with cleft lip or palette can also have difficulty eating and speaking as well as an increase in ear and dental problems.