Jump start on Blog Action Day

I'm so excited about Blog Action Day that I decided to get a little head start on the project.  The statistics and realities of poverty are alarming.

• An estimated 130 million of the world's 15- to 24- year-olds cannot read or write.
• There are 781 million million illiterate adults worldwide, and 64 percent of them are women.
• Of the 22 countries where more than half the population is illiterate, 15 are in Africa.
• Only 14.4 percent of GDP per capita is spent on primary education worldwide.

So, why am I giving statistics on illiteracy when the Action Day is focusing on Poverty?  Education is the key to unlock the options that poverty suffocates.  Literacy is one of the inalienable rights every person in the world should have to function as productive members of the world.  That is my passion and mission. 

I am thrilled to see how we can all communiate via the internet to solve, yes this is solvable, the horrors people face around the world due to poverty. 

Let's take action and make the difference we want in the world!

photo on flickr by tomcosgrave

Comments

[Tina Peterson]

Hi Laura - I've been doing a little research on Family Literacy and have been working this year to set up a Literacy Program for the Food Bank here in Nebraska. It's slow going, but everyone I've spoken to has been so excited about the potential this program has.

We are mainly working with families that cannot afford to provide books & reading material for their families - it's hard enough putting food on the table & a roof over their heads!

I would like to keep in contact with your website and see how you are doing once in a while. Thank you for the hard work you've been doing in Africa and helping the families there work & learn how to improve their standard of living through education.

I will be having a page on my blog and also on my website eventually focusing on the need for literacy and will be checking back to see how your doing & if I can figure out how, I'd like to put a link back to your page.

Thanks again!
Tina Peterson
www.myusbornebooks.com

[Laura Hecht]

Tina,
Thank you for your work you are doing for local literacy. I am a huge advocate for literacy both locally and abroad. I would consider it an honor to partner with you to provide literacy opportunities to families in need.

Visit often because I am continually finding resources and people with a heart for education like we have. In fact, today I just received fifteen 5ft. pull-down maps and multiple geography books. This may not sound like much to some people, but for those who need the educational resources, it was a great day for them.

I look forward to working with you Tina.

Laura