WHAT WOULD LIFE BE LIKE IF YOU COULDN’T READ? – Remembering World Literacy Day
Can you understand this?
Thatha umzuzu ucabange ukuthi impilo ibingaba ehluke kanjani uma ungakwazi ukufunda.
No?
Take a minute to think not only about how different your life would be, but also how different even a single day would be without the ability to read.
To begin with, you wouldn’t be reading this blog. You also wouldn’t be able to access or make use of the internet. For many of us, the first thing we do in the morning is check our phones for messages or emails. Perhaps today you’ve already scrolled through Facebook, Instagram, or whichever platform you prefer—but without literacy, those would not be part of your life.
The pleasure of reading for enjoyment and the opportunity to read in order to learn and grow would be denied to anyone facing literacy challenges. In today’s post-COVID world, where even more of life takes place online, those who cannot read are at an even greater disadvantage.
Currently, 1 in 7 people around the world cannot read properly—that’s 763 million people who are unable to enjoy the benefits of books (whether recreational or academic), the internet, or social media. Of these, two-thirds are women, which means that the burden of illiteracy disproportionately affects women and girls.
As we commemorate World Literacy Day, let’s consider the opportunities we all have to make a difference to ourselves but also those around us:
1. Promote literacy in your community. Schools, libraries, or community groups can host events that invite authors, poets, and storytellers to highlight the value of reading and share their own works.
2. Take advantage of your own literacy skills. By continuing to develop how we read and engage with information, we open the door to better health, greater opportunities, and more success in our work.
Reading is not only a source of enjoyment; it is also a means of progress and empowerment.
At acet UK, we have over 36 years of experience producing and publishing acclaimed resources, manuals, and publications that have been used across the UK and around the world—impacting thousands of lives. Our work strengthens healthy self-esteem, supports positive relationships, and promotes better sexual and mental health.
We offer a wide range of resources that can benefit not only you, but also your family, your community, and your wider sphere of influence.
This World Literacy Day, we invite you to celebrate the gift of literacy. More importantly, we encourage you to use this gift to fuel your own growth and empowerment—through reading, learning, and accessing the many resources that acet UK provides.