Literacy Transforms Women's Lives
Adventist women are trained to facilitate the first adult literacy programs in western India.
Southern India Division (SUD)
[India] If a woman cannot read, she cannot read the Word of God. If she is illiterate, she is cheated in many ways. If she is ignorant, she suffers mocking and scoffing directed at her by others. Literacy is an eye opening experience for illiterates who attend adult literacy programs, because literacy transforms the lives of all.
With this goal to transform lives of women in western India, the Women’s Ministries department established an adult literacy program in Western India Union. Women of the region, including women’s ministries directors and supervisors, accepted the invitation to be involved in the adult literacy program as facilitators.
Premila Masih, Women’s Ministries director for Southern Asia Division, organized the three-day workshop and was joined by two guest instructors from India Bible Society Chennai in teaching the training sessions.
Participants lighted candles to symbolize literacy at the end of the first plenary session and pledged to share their light of literacy to the illiterates who are presently living in darkness.
“We are ready to take the challenge of teaching the illiterates,” the newly-trained facilitators solemnly declared at the end of the workshop held in Pune, January 22-24, 2020.
“That commitment is promising and encouraging!” writes Premila Masih.
Contributed by Premila Masih, Women’s Ministries director for Southern Asia Division
Published in Mosaic newspaper, 2020 Q3
