The Cellphone: A motivator for acquiring literacy skills in Mozambique

Midondo is a remote community in Angonia District of Tete Province, Mozambique. Like many other local communities, illiteracy is a big challenge among adults who missed opportunities to go to school in their earlier years. Consequently, many of the people in Midondo have made efforts to become literate by enrolling in a literacy class established by World Renew’s partner, IRM-RDD. Why would adults enroll in a literacy program when they far beyond school-age? The responses I got from two literacy class members when I visited Midondo in April 2013 were fascinating.

Rebecca, a 21-year-old mother, is the wife of the Midondo literacy class instructor. She decided to join a class taught by her husband after observing his work for some time. She told us that as a child she started primary school education from grade 1 to 4, but was forced to stop when she lost both of her parents and did not have anyone to support her. When I probed her reason for joining a literacy class at this late age, Rebecca said, “At the beginning I did not want to join the literacy class because I thought that it was not for somebody like me. But when I got a cell phone, I developed interest in communicating with my husband and friends through texting and reading sms messages. This made me realize that for me to use my cell phone, I needed to know how to read and write.”

So Rebecca decided to join the literacy class in her community to connect with her friends and family by cell phone. As we talked together, she was beaming with joy because of the simple fact that she can read and write in Chicewa and communicate with her husband and friends using her cell phone. Rebecca also said that she wants to continue her education until she completes grade 12 so that she can get a job.

"Mobile phones are an attractive and affordable means to maintain literacy skills"

I also met Damiano at a literacy class in Midondo. Damiano is a 25-year-old married man father of three children and a farmer by trade. Damiano, like Rebecca, started his primary education when he was staying with his grandparents as a young boy. He stopped going to school when he was in grade 2, saying that he lost interest because he refused to accept discipline from his teachers. His grandparents did not insist on his attendance, so he abandoned his formal education.

However, as a successful, 25-year-old farmer, Damiano suddenly developed an interest in becoming literate. His reasons are fascinating. Damiano told us that he joined a literacy class because of problems he encountered in reading and writing. He bought a cell phone and he told us that he could neither write nor read sms messages from his family and friends and that he could not recognize people’s phone numbers when they called. As a result, he decided to join the other 33 members of the literacy class in Midondo. Now Damiano is proud that he can read and write in Chicewa and communicate with his friends in far-away Vila Ulongue and other places.

Damiano is very ambitious, and hopes to learn to read and write in Portuguese and to complete grade 12. He even dreams about enrolling in a computer course so that he can get a good job in the city.

How true it is that “mobile phones are an attractive and affordable means to maintain literacy skills…”.
A big kudos to Hilary Clinton, who launched the Mobile Phone Literacy Project on the occasion of her visit to the UNESCO in May 2011.

Prayer Points:

Praise God for a successful response with 2,100 victims of a flood disaster in Mutarara that occurred in January and May, 2013.
Pray for World Renew’s partner, IRM-RDD as they track those who received seeds for planting.
Continue to pray for the successful implementation of the CIDA Sustainable Livelihood projects started with IRM-RDD.
Pray for many families in southern and central Mozambique who lost their crops and homes to floods, that they may experience God’s providence and depend on Him.
Continue to pray for Esther and me for fruitful ministry as we serve in Mozambique.
Esther and I would like to conclude by expressing our deep appreciation to all of our World Renew supporters for your generous giving and prayers over the years. We pray that God will continue to keep and bless you all, as you labor to support His work at World Renew.

Always remember like the Scriptures say, “your labor in the Lord is not in vain…” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Yours, In His Service,