For many people who live in prosperous countries, the ability to read and write is often taken for granted. But millions of people living in developing nations cannot interpret signs posted at the local market, understand simple directions printed on a medicine bottle, or read a billboard along the road that urges vigilance against AIDS. Literacy is a key component of language development and a gift that opens up a whole new world of opportunities for even the poorest of the poor.

Testimony from Benin

“Last year, in a literacy course in Ouberou, we learned how to do mathematical calculations,” writes Jacques Kanri. “Now I know how to manage my affairs. I sell a bit of everything in our village. In the past, when I went to buy goods from the shops in the big town, I had to ask the price of the merchandise, in spite of the fact that it had price tags on it. Now I know how to read them for myself! If I want to buy something, I first calculate how much I could sell it for in my village before buying it. That way I know how much profit I would make. And I apply this skill not only to my business, but to our family life, so we know the profits and losses on everything.”

In Peru, Wycliffe’s partner agencies have trained hundreds of Quechua people to read and write in their language.