My name is Grace. I grew up in a village where education was a luxury most of us could not afford. In fact, it was rare to find a girl going to school in those days, since we were being prepared for marriage with housekeeping training skills like farming and cooking which did not require formal schooling or reading and writing.

I met my husband and together we got born again and had children, some of which are in secondary school now. My husband was very aware that I couldn’t read or write, or do arithmetic, and he thought that was just fine. He would take care of everything that needed those skills. We built a life together and I thought our love would conquer all, but as time passed, the weight of my illiteracy began to bear down on me. 

We built a business which we ran together, dealing in timber. Since I could not take records or balance the books, I always had to be helped, which seemed like a burden to my husband. Simple tasks became daunting challenges, and our differences began to drive us apart.

My husband had always admired literate women, who could sign business documents and manage things with proper record keeping. One day, he brought in a young lady who was smart and educated to be our administrator. It was good for the business, but things started to change, and I realized that I was soon losing myself, and our marriage, to my illiteracy.

A lot of drama went on after this educated woman came. The final blow came when my husband said to my face that he no longer wanted me in his house, that he needed an educated better half to push him to do better things in life!

Devastated, I realized that my illiteracy had cost me the love of my life. Now I am more than determined to change my story. I joined Adult Literacy Education classes organized by Development Companions International and I will rise, I will grow, I will overcome my past.

Perhaps someday I will find love again, and I will rediscover myself. But at least soon I will be able to take care of myself and develop. I hold onto hope now, and the knowledge that its never too late to start anew.