Illiteracy
Gospel for Asia issues an extensive Special Report on illiteracy, the dominant disabler to flourishing for millions around the world, and the miraculous potential of literacy that is able to change the lives of men, women and children for generations.
Gospel for Asia points out that there are more than 250 million women in Asia today who are illiterate. It’s impossible for them to help their children with schoolwork. In addition, the instructions on medicine bottles, road signs, notices from the government and legal papers are all indecipherable— and this in a society that is increasingly dependent upon the written word. Those who desire to read God’s Word can’t do so. Technology can’t be accessed unless a user is highly literate. One must be able to spell, to read commands, to type letters that form words if the digital world is to be accessed.
Illiteracy is a kind of intellectual limbo, and no matter how naturally intelligent a person might be, the very descriptor “illiterate” indicates inferior mental capability.
Worldwide, entire villages with increasing levels of literacy are making social and economic gains when even just a small percentage of the villagers learn to read and write. Much data (a preponderance of which is examined under the general category of education) gives good cause to make the assumption that learning to read and write is one of the “great miracle cures.”
UNESCO does a thorough job of establishing the difficulty of conducting evidence- based data gathering as to the specific impact of literacy on individuals and communities, but it makes a broad generalization by stating in one article, “The ‘multiplier effect’ of literacy empowers people, enables them to participate fully in society and contributes to improve livelihoods.
WILLS POINT, TX — A shocking number of adults around the world can’t read or write even a simple sentence, says mission agency GFA World (www.gfa.org) as it marks International Literacy Day, September 8. According to the United Nations’ education agency UNESCO, approximately 773 million adults worldwide — equal to more than twice the population…
GHANA — While many rural pastors in remote villages across Ghana have no access to training resources, many also face the challenges of not being able to read and write. In response Theovision International has partnered with the Moody Bible Institute to provide a unique oral Bible training school. During their latest graduation many of…
SPRINGFIELD, MO – Rainbows. They draw our attention to the glory of God and of His loving promise to never destroy sinful humanity with a worldwide flood as He did in Noah’s day. We can be thankful for that promise every day, but we are especially so when we gaze in awe and wonder at…
RANCHO SANTA FE, CA — The Britfield Institute’s mission is to transform education throughout America, inspire literacy, equip children with the tools to succeed, and bring creativity back into classrooms. America is engulfed in an educational crisis, with more than 30% of enrolled students did not return to school this fall. National literacy scores have…
GARLAND, TX – Odds are that you have never heard of Twelve21 Global. That’s because it was founded by Yusuph Emmanuel only two years ago in 2018. Yusuph knows first-hand what life on the streets is like in a developing country. He grew up as a street kid in the African country of Tanzania. Life…
RALEIGH, NC – Refugee Hope Partners’ (RHP) name pretty well explains why the organization exists. RHP is a relatively small ministry, but its services are a big deal for refugees from around the globe who have settled in Raleigh, North Carolina. More than 60 million people have been displaced worldwide. Unfortunately, these people often become…
“Literacy Teaching and Learning in the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond” was the theme for this years’ International Literacy Day on September 8, 2020. UNICEF introduced the initiative in 1996 to encourage governments, businesses, and non-governmental agencies to promote and participate in programs to advance literacy for men, women, and children around the world. The gap…
DALLAS, TX – International Literacy Day is September 8, 2020. Pioneer Bible Translators’ approach to reducing illiteracy is unique. Their name implies that their work is limited to Bible translation. While Bible translation is a key component of their work, Pioneer Bible Translators’ mission and vision are much broader. The PBT team includes translators who…
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA – TeachBeyond is all about transformation. In the early years following World War 2, Youth for Christ invited the Janz Brother Quartet to travel from their homes in Manitoba to participate in crusades in Germany. Those crusades envisioned sharing the hope found in Jesus Christ to transform a languishing, war-weary nation. In 1954,…
TULSA, OK – Gospel for Asia released a special report written by Karen Burton Mains in September 2019. “Literacy: One of the Great Miracle Cures” discussed resolving the limitations that illiteracy places on the human spirit.Mrs. Mains explained that because we read and write, we “often take for granted the treacherous limitations illiteracy places on…
BAYANA, Philippines – Hunger and lack of education appear on nearly every list of obstacles faced by the poor, disenfranchised, displaced, and underserved. It doesn’t matter where they live, hunger and lack of education are as common as the lack of clean water, sanitation. An increasing abundance of plastic waste pollution is also on many,…
NEW YORK – As we head into the fourth and final quarter of 2019 and begin the third decade of the 21st century, it seems like a good time to review the progress of South Asian countries toward reaching the United Nations’ sustainable development goals for 2030. This information originally appeared in the “United Nations’…
Some of us are old enough to remember grandparents, aunts and uncles who could not read or write. Yes, right here in the United States. Those we may recall were the children of parents who had been prevented from learning these essential skills because their survival was existential. Their progenitors had to work the family…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) has released a new special report entitled “Literacy: One of the Great Miracle Cures.” Subtitled, “Resolving the Limitations Illiteracy Places on the Human Spirit,” noted author Karen Mains explains that illiteracy is a multi-faceted . . . problem that results in [fewer] job opportunities and low income,…
WILLS POINT, TX — With more than 250 million women in Asia unable to read or write, faith-based mission agency Gospel for Asia (GFA) cites literacy as a “miracle cure” to release women from generational poverty. To mark International Literacy Day, Sunday, Sept. 8, the humanitarian organization located in Texas announced it was publishing a…
PARIS – Just days ago, UNESCO revealed that the world is “off track” in reaching yet another of the 2030 deadlines for sustainable development. With 2020 less than six months away, we are nearly one-third of the way on the timeline to meet those goals. On July 7, UNESCO admitted that the education goal (SDG…
LA MIRADA, CA — Radio broadcaster FEBC (Far East Broadcasting Company) has opened up the airwaves for millions of people in unreached regions to hear the gospel in their own language for the first time – now broadcasting in 124 languages, with more than 2.2 million individuals responding annually to the “good news.” “In many…
My 2-year-old nephew, Emerson, loves books … and he can’t even read yet. He’ll tote around his favorite board books, flip through them upside-down, and jabber a story he’s making up in his head. You can tell he can’t wait to read on his own. He already knows his alphabet!The brains of children his age…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) released a brand-new video that tells the remarkable story of what the Lord has been able to do with a 24-year-old young man who had immigrated from India to the United States. In just three minutes, Dr. K.P. Yohannan shares the unexpected mission to which the Lord…
ASIA — Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported workers observed International Women’s Day across Asia on March 8 by providing women with opportunities that will help them thrive in every aspect of life. National workers inaugurated new tailoring classes to provide vocational skills for underprivileged women. The classes will teach women how to successfully operate a business…
Poverty. You know it when you see it – but, can you define it? A World Perspective Dictionary.com defines poverty as “the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support; the condition of being poor.” It defines “poor” as “having little or no money, goods, or other means of…
JHARKHAND – An Anganwadi[1] worker in Jharkhand recently praised a team from World Vision for its work with Jharkhand health officials to help reduce acute malnutrition in the state. Although the State of Jharkhand contains about 40% of India’s entire mineral reserves, nearly 80% of the people who live there are farmers. It is India’s…
Contrary to popular belief among many Americans, radio is not a relic of the past. Once again, we are victims of our own isolation and our preoccupation with the ever-emerging technologies that seem to have relegated radio to the recollection of retirees. Then, there is the virtual demise of the once ubiquitous Radio Shack. The…
LONDON – Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London, England. He had been a Member of Parliament since 2005. He is also a devout Muslim. However, whether politically motivated or out of sincerity, he has proven to be kind to Christians. Just a few days ago on December 16th, he addressed a crowd of 10,000…
Nueva Version International translation in partnership with Streetlights to feature in creative presentation of God’s Word for contemporary audience COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Biblica, the International Bible Society (www.biblica.com), is partnering with a multi-media urban ministry team to share the Bible’s unchanging, relevant truth in an innovative way. Biblica is pleased to bring its Spanish-language…
INDIA – September 8th was International Literacy Day. With so many days set aside to draw attention to causes, we rarely take a look back to recognize what we have done to meet the needs of the cause beyond memorializing the day. Illiteracy is a significant issue in South Asia and other areas of the…
International Literacy Day underscores how, in helping people learn to read, GFA brings practical help and spiritual hope to many on the fringes of society WILLS POINT, Texas — In many parts of the world, being unable to read isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a potentially deadly handicap that Gospel for Asia (GFA) is working hard to…
‘Learn the Bible in a Year’ radio program offers response to Barna Group study showing downward trend in Bible literacy COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Bibles For The World (BFTW), a global ministry focused on reaching unreached peoples with the gospel in developing countries, is tackling a disturbing and growing trend — Bible illiteracy in the…
HAVANA – Reports indicate that people are coming to Christ in Cuba in numbers rarely seen before. Lest we think that this is happening because of improved relationships between Cuba and the United States, we must remember that ministries from other countries have been working in Cuba for many years. The awakening that is happening…
NEW YORK – April 4th is the United Nations’ International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, which provides an opportunity for the world to reflect on both the progress made and the challenges that remain in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance. The vision of the United Nations is a world free of…
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – A visit to India in 1971 led John DeVries to pray, “God, I will serve you anywhere you want. Just, please, don’t send me back here again.” At the time, DeVries did not realize that what he was seeing was the Lord’s way of opening John’s eyes and heart to the…
Photo by archer10 (Dennis) The new Thai King endorsed the 20th Constitution of Thailand in early April. Per Fox News, “King Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun endorsed the document in an elaborate ceremony at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall attended by senior members of the country’s military government as well as foreign diplomats.” The military had seized control…
KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda’s ministry of education is looking toward low-cost private schools to counter the failure of the public school system caused by teacher absenteeism, poor facilities and high dropout rates. According to the BBC, 68 percent of Ugandan students do not complete elementary school. Teachers are ill-prepared for their careers, with 78 percent…
The recent violent death of a 16-year-old rape victim again brings focus to India’s crisis of sexual assault against women. The assailant, who also set the teenager aflame before fleeing, was allegedly her 20-year-old boyfriend. Cultural norms in India make the reporting of sexual assault taboo. However, more rape victims are reporting their assaults and…
