the power of mother tongue literacy

Mrs. Elizabeth Nimley is a housewife, petty trader and has two surviving children with several grandchildren. Elizabeth loves to encourage community women to be active in the activities of the church as she herself is an usher in the church. Elizabeth went to her husband’s office one day to see him and the receptionist give her a form to write her name. She couldn’t. On another occasion she went to see a business partner at a bank and the same thing happened. On these two occasions Elizabeth said she felt so embarrassed because the looks of surprise that the receptionist gave her each time suggested that her posture didn’t give the indication that she was not lettered. That is what prompted Elizabeth to decide to learn to write her own name at the time. Now when the literacy program was introduced in the church, she jumped at the opportunity. “I want to read the Bible myself in the language that I know best.” Elizabeth said. Now Elizabeth reads the Bible in her own language (Bassa) and encourages other women in the church to attend literacy classes in order to be able to read the Bible for themselves.