Monday, May 10, 2010

Aiding Literacy



I recently stumbled upon The Literacy Site Store. This site allows visitors to purchase jewelry, clothing, gardening, kitchen goods, etc. to benefit literacy.



The site also gives people the chance to fund literacy directly!

For $20 you can send two girls to school in Afghanistan.

For $10 you can give books to U.S. children in need.

For $24 you can pay a teacher's salary in Darfur.

For $50 you can liberate a girl in western Nepal from indentured servitude, and give her the chance to earn an education.

For $100 you can heat a classroom for the entire winter.

For $1 you can contribute to children's literacy

......and the list continues!


You can make a donation or buy something that's really unique and beautiful.
Either way, you can make a difference.

Defining the Problem

The following map illustrates the world literacy rate:

As you can see, the highest rates of illiteracy exist in the global south/developing nations.
Illiteracy is a major cause of civil unrest and economic/social instability. These issues pose major geopolitical implications for nations with low literacy rates. Literacy is also an issue for the global north/industrialized/developed nations. The U.S. and the majority of developed nations are not 100% literate.
Between 1970 and 2005, world literacy has decreased by half.

In short, literacy is a global issue. It is not something that affects only poor or underdeveloped nations. Literacy is power-- power to reach your full potential as a person. A literate world is a secure world, a prosperous world, and a healthy world.

New Cause: Literacy!


Please join me in celebrating heartfulmindmindfulheart's newest cause.... LITERACY!

Literacy is ordinarily described as the ability to read and write.

However, a more useful definition of literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute, and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.

Literacy involves continuous learning that enables individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community as well as in society.

**As we move forward in supporting literacy efforts around the world, please note that we will continue to acknowledge and contribute to past causes. No post involving Lupus has been removed. We will also continue to list our past causes in the sidebar.**