I want to talk a little about how important it is to know how to read. I live at Bebeda, a town in northern Togo. I never went to school before I was married. When we had meetings at our church I tried to hide. I didn’t want anyone to see me. If someone asked me to talk, I wouldn’t say anything. If someone asked me a question, I wouldn’t answer. I felt full of fear and shame.

The years passed. I was now married and had three children. One day someone offered to teach the women in our church how to read our own language. I decided to attend the classes. During the first weeks of class the teacher taught me to read the letters, and she guided my hand to help me write them. After six weeks, I could read the 34 letters in our alphabet but I couldn’t write them very well. At the end of that first year I could write my name and a few short sentences.

By the end of the third year I could write well and even do maths. Because I can read and do maths, I now have a little business selling dried fish. It is doing well. If my children are sick now, I read the health books in our language to know how to treat them correctly. We have a pamphlet that explains how to make compost to improve our poor soil so that our food will grow better. I read this information to others to help them, too.

Besides all this, a miracle occurred in my life when I became a teacher and began teaching others how to read! Now when I travel, I can read signs and have no problems. I express my ideas in the church meetings and even help my children with their lessons. I am very proud everywhere I am because I can read.