Claudette...

I’ve been participating in a literacy program for over five years now. Unfortunately, I can’t give my studies the time I would like because of my work. However, my free time is reserved for studying. That’s why weeks can go by before I see my sisters or my brother. Still, these are sacrifices that are rewarding and worthwhile. In addition, I can see the results in my French, reading, and Math work. It’s even thanks to literacy and to the progress I’ve made that I was able to survive the death of my mother and my youngest brother. Their deaths, occurring in a one-month interval, hurt me deeply. I joined a support group for grieving people in order to overcome more serenely this double loss. We had many articles to read, and thanks to the improvement in my reading skills, I was able to understand the texts and progress in my journey. Therefore, I can say that literacy changed my life and probably saved it. Furthermore, my family relationships have changed since I am now more social, I isolate myself less, I have more self-confidence, and I charge towards my goals. It’s even thanks to this inner-strength that I have made new friends, that I accept to take part in literacy meetings, that I am the Learner Representative on the FANB’s Board of Directors, and that I have learned to forge ahead. I help out members of my community, I am involved in parish committees, I read during church services, and I even participate in contests for learner achievement.

Now 50 years of age, I am proud of myself. Even if literacy is a plus for me, my biggest success are my children. They often tell me that they owe everything to me since my courage gave them the power to keep learning. When they’d cry because their studies were trying for them and they didn’t understand anything, I was there to prove to them that life, without education, would be even more painful. To my great joy, they understood the importance of education.