Adults learn to read, write

It’s a life-time achievement for Susan Kepa and 21 other settlement mothers who can now read in both English and Tok Pisin after undergoing phonics lessons in an adult literacy programme.
Kepa, from Guimine district in Chimbu, but now living at the Bushwara settlement in the National Capital District, could hardly believe that her secret of illiteracy would now be made known to her four children and the rest of the community.
“Even my four children, since day one, had no idea they were raised up by an illiterate mother,” Kepa told The National.
“My son Paul is currently studying at the University of Technology.
“I have two other children, I lost a daughter at an early age.”
Her encouragement to all illiterate people in villages and settlements is that it is never too late to achieve anything in life.
She also shared her experience and her struggles in the past.
She was unable to read food labels and only bought rice and tinned fish just because other people were doing that.
“Learning does not stop, now I can read food labels before buying,” she said.
“My hope in the Lord and prayer was fulfilled, at least I can now be able to read and write after learning jolly phonics.”
The 22 women will be certified after completion of the programme in 2017.
The adult literacy programme is an initiative of the Assemblies of God (AOG) Church.
Church elders, who are former primary school teachers have taught the mothers to read in English, according to community leader and teacher Paul Sulgma.
“Empowering women and giving opportunities to settlement mothers to learn is our focus now,” he said.
He also encouraged other mothers in the settlements to enroll next year in the adult literacy course.