When I asked Agnes what being a literacy tutor has taught her she said, "I've learned that I have something to contribute to the outside world. I feel good about being able to help these students. And I've discovered that I'll never be finished learning, no matter how long I live. I never thought much about learning - I was always too busy - but now I know that the older I get, the more I can learn."

While I was waiting for HELENA PETERS to finish some work she was doing with a student I had a minute to talk to PAULINE FEHR.

Pauline works part-time as a tutor and part-time as the secretary/receptionist for the Basic Education Centre. In between answering telephone calls Pauline described the changes she sees in the students with gentle insight.

"The students are shy at first. They come in here and have coffee and talk. After awhile I can tell if they are learning things. It's physical as much as mental. They seem to look like they care, like they have a place in the community, like they are happier. They find better houses to live in; they groom themselves better and they stand a little taller."

When she is not in the reception area Pauline works with a student who is just beginning to learn to read. When I commented to Pauline that it must be difficult to work with someone who is at such a low level she said with enthusiasm, "Yes, it's hard, but I'm starting to see some progress. It's thrilling to watch someone learn how to read."

Helena came to tell me she was free now. Reserved and soft- spoken, Helena is another woman who is beginning to discover her own strengths through her literacy work. She has been a volunteer tutor for the past 9 years, beginning work as a paid tutor 3 months ago. She and Rita share the classroom where they are each working with four students.

Helena didn't finish high school until her children were older so appreciates some of what her students are going through. "I've taken some positive steps in my own personal life. I started by doing some oil painting. I found that I could do that then I went back to school and found that I could do that too. And now I am doing a lot of writing. I always felt 'unfinished' but I don't so much any more."

"Sometimes I feel unqualified to teach because I don't have much training as a tutor," Helena told me, "but I am learning new things everyday and I can really see the students making progress."

"I couldn't say that every one of the students I've worked with has made a big leap forward but I can say that each one of them has improved some. I don't think there's one who didn't gain something."

I noticed a bright yellow copy of The Northern Storytellers- A Collection of Student Writings on Helena's desk. It is an anthology of stories written by students in the North. I had been given a copy of the book by Abe Janzen when I was in Fairview and had read it from cover to cover. Helena was the facilitator of the government funded project.

"We are really pleased with how the book turned out," Helena said proudly. "It was a lot of work. I worked with a selection committee and an editing committee for 6 months deciding on which stories would go in the book and then I had to put it all on the computer. But I really loved the process and would love to do it all again. This book is Volume I; we're hoping there will be others."