News / Thoughts

Bangladesh: Learning to read and write

We often take our ability to read and write for granted. But imagine what it would be like never having any education at all. This is the case for many poor children, especially girls, in rural Bangladesh.

Benu Ara never went to school. In fact, she was married by the age of 12 and for the last 20 years has had low self esteem as she was unable to read and write. But, a local literacy teacher invited her to start some simple classes.

At first she was too shy and too low in confidence to accept. Fortunately, her husband and her children strongly encouraged her to participate.

So she began the course. It didn’t take long before she could recognise letters. Then letters became words, words became sentences, sentences became stories. And then she was reading the most important story of them all.

“I can read the Bible now!” exclaims 32-year-old Benu.

“I love the stories of the Bible. They give me peace. I loved the worship and the singing at the literacy centre, too. I enjoyed the fellowship, sharing and praying together. I worked very hard and now I can read the Bible! I read it often. It teaches me so much about God and Jesus. I share the stories from the Bible with my children and they love to listen to me.”

This has changed her life. “I am so grateful to God because He gave me this opportunity to learn how to read and write. Now, I’ve sent my mother-in-law to the literacy class, too, so she can learn how to read the Bible as well.”

Benu has only one prayer point: “Pray for my daughters and son so they all may grow up in the realm of Scripture.”

How Open Doors is helping…

For over 60 years, giving people access to the Bible has been one of Open Doors’ core aims – but that means more than just handing them Scripture. It means teaching people to read and to write, helping them to understand what they are reading, and to bring the truths of the Word into their lives.

Thanks to your support, many thousands of Christians around the world are given tools which not only improve their chances of employment and increase their dignity and self-esteem, but that also bring them into closer contact with a God who loves them and who has given them life.

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