Illiteracy

The illiteracy rate in nicaragua is over 35%... but it feels higher up here in the rural areas of Nicaragua.  It really hit me today when Elmer had to ask a woman picking up food if she could sign her name for records that she got the food.  She said yes... but she wrote her name Julia... very slowly.  I have seen kindergartners with better handwiriting then her.   She also had to write MF... which means mother of the family... but because she doesnt have an M in her name... she couldnt wirte an M.  Elmer had to write it for her.

Because of the War in the 70s... my parents generation lost out on education.  There was no such thing as a high school education for anyone, and rural area education of elementary school was minimum.  I get to work with a wonderful man named Chele but during his high school years, he was fighting in the war and therefore never went to school.  He cannot read nor write.  he cant even tell you the letters of the alphabet... but he is an extremley hard worker and always has a smile on his face.

I can{t imagine not being able to read or write.  There are so man things in life that i would miss out on.  books, learning, writing to my friends, reading a menu at a restaurant.  An education is such a blessing.  I have been SO incredibly blessed to have a quality education, to be able to attend a university.   I try to enver complain about having to go to class, but sometimes it will slip out.  I want to try to never complain agian.  To have an education is such an incredible blessing and if we cannot aprpeciate it, then why dont we give someone else the opportunity to have it?  There are millions of people around the world who would give anything to read a book, or even write their name... who are we to complain about the quality education we recieve every day?