Literacy is a Human Right

According to ayyaantuu.com, the literacy rate in Ethiopia was among the ten lowest in the world in 2013. 

We're fighting for a human right using Role Models in Literacy.  The ability to read and write is essential in order to succeed in the world today, a world that's becoming more reliant on technology.  In Ethiopia, mobile phones are popping up everywhere. Before the citizens of Ethiopia can use technology to their advantage, it's important for them to emphasize the importance of literacy.

Those who can't read or write are “destined to be on the social and economic margins of our world.”
- UNESCO

Role Models in Literacy: Boston (VIDEO)

Here it is, the second RMIL video produced by me.  For all of you who've seen the first video of Shyah (if you haven't seen the first video, be sure to check it out), this is her sister named Boston!  She's a sixth grade student (four years older than her sister, Shyah), so she just started going to a middle school this year.  Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/84628262

Role Models in Literacy: Shyah (VIDEO)

Here's the link to the very first Role Models in Literacy video.  Check it out!!

http://vimeo.com/80568083

First Video Nearly Complete!

I'm almost done editing the first Role Models in Literacy video.  The main attraction of the video is a 2nd grade American girl named Shyah.  We are friends with her family, and she goes to elementary school right around the corner from our house so we recorded footage in both places.

There will be another video coming up soon of her sister, Boston.  Stay tuned!

Fertility Rate & Literacy Rate Correlation

After taking a peek at Indexmundi.com, I have learned that there is a correlation between Literacy Rates and Fertility Rates.  Although it's not a very strong correlation, there is enough evidence to prove that more educated countries tend to have less of a population issue.

Some examples of nations with high literacy rates:

Country:                    Lit. Rate:               Birth rate:

Switzerland               99%                       1.48
USA                          99%                       2.07
UK                            99%                       1.66
Germany                   99%                       1.37
Russia                       99.5%                    1.33

Pretty much everyone can read in these kinds of countries.  And the average amount of kids a woman will give birth to falls in the range of 1 or 2.  Now, let's take a look at some countries with poor literacy rates:

Country:                    Lit. Rate:               Birth rate:

Tanzania                    70.7%                    5.24
Ethiopia                     35.1%                    5.55
Haiti                           51.2%                   4.86
Burkina Faso             16.6%                    6.34
Niger                          9.7%                     6.91

Clearly, the women of these nations give birth to too many children for them to handle.  My goal, using Role Model In Literacy, is to elevate the literacy rate of such a country to a point in which the women are giving birth to one or two children.

Check out the Indexmundi website for more data: http://www.indexmundi.com/g/correlation.aspx?v1=31&v2=39

New Role Model: Boge

Today, we had a very successful and productive day in Hawasa.  My highlight of the day was going to my dad's friend Tesfaye's house to shoot a video of his niece for Role Models in Literacy! Her name is Boge (pronounced BO-gay) and she is in the second grade at her local elementary school.

This is going to be a great addition to the growing library of RMIL videos.  Hopefully seeing a girl in a developing country pursuing her education and showing her love for reading will inspire young, less-fortunate kids in similar countries to do the same.

Luckily there were also two boys (6 and 11) in the house we went to, so I recorded a few videos of them as well.  I will try to upload at least one of the videos before I come back to the US.  Stay tuned!

GeoCDI Classes on Technology at the Furra Institute

I just spent the day with my dad and a few of his associates in Hawasa today.  We went to a couple of coffee plantations as well as the Furra Institute, where we held our first class on software programs for GeoCDI.

Technology is spreading throughout Ethiopia at a fast pace, reaching even the most isolated villages.  This is the first of a series of classes teaching people how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.  The class consisted of adults over 30 years old, most of them farmers.  Since computers are becoming more available to even the most isolated towns, it's important to teach farmers how to use them to their advantage.