The Subject is Literacy

Bill Morton, a Lynnwood Rotarian since 1985 and an education consultant, brought the subject of combating illiteracy to the BBRC Friday. This is one of the four special task forces formed by RI President Jonathan Majiyagbe – the Literacy and Education Task Force. The Rotary Clubs of Lynnwood, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace have partnered in developing a Literacy Center in South Africa. Other District 5030 clubs joined in the partnership through a matching grant process included Auburn, Renton, SeaTac and Seattle #4. A total of $22,000 made up the grant, which included RI’s share.

Bill Morton talkson the literacy program.

Morton, of the Lynnwood Rotary Club, and JoAnn Stevens, of the Rotary Club of Mountlake Terrace, helped to establish the Helderberg Literacy Center in the city of Strand, South Africa. The couple served as Rotary International Volunteers from February 24 through April 7 this year. Their trip took them to over 15 schools in the Khayalitsha township, which houses more than 30,000 people in shanty towns. The income is low and illiteracy extremely high. Class sizes in schools invariably contain more than 45 children. JoAnn and Bill contributed by conducting workshops for teachers about effective teaching procedures, classroom management, use of volunteer helpers in the classroom and using cooperative learning techniques.

The major purpose of the Literacy Center is teacher education, beginning with a core of seven teacher-consultants employed by the Western Cape Education Department. This core will in turn upgrade the literacy teaching skills of hundreds of teachers in the Khayalitsha schools in the next several years.

In December of 2002, Lynnwood Rotary sent 25 computers to Boland College in Stellenbosch, SA. Five of the computers have been installed in the Literacy Center. The other 20 computers were installed in several “learning centers’ in local schools, and community facilities to help in training low income persons in job skills.

On the way to South Africa, Bill and JoAnn stopped in Nairobi, Kenya, for five days to attend the Rotary International Presidential Conference on Peace and Development. Over 650 delegates from every country in Africa attended this conference, joining with 160 delegates from other countries of the world. The major focus was how Rotary can help alleviate poverty, illiteracy and serious health issue such as HIV-AIDS and Polio. The was the fourth country in which the Morton’s have served as Rotary International Volunteers, each time from two to three months on Rotary funded projects.

District 5030, under the leadership of District Governor John Gardiner, is forming a Literacy-Numeracy committee. Bill Morton has been appointed to chair this committee. Morton put out a call for Rotarians interested in “Literacy-Numeracy Challenges to join our group. UNESCO reports that one-fourth of the world population are illiterate and do not have reading, writing or math skills to successfully handle the demands of everyday life. The lack of literacy skills inhibits their ability to lead full, dignified and productive lives. Illiteracy is the leading factor in the spread of poverty in the world, including the U.S.”

Morton observed that “Rotary can do the same job on illiteracy that we’ve done on polio. Every Rotary Club can be involved in a literacy program. The need is evident and the challenge is there. I hope your club will consider joining others to make a Literacy center project come alive in Africa or elsewhere in the world.”

President Evison presented a certificate to Morton for giving his program to the BBRC. The certificate indicates that two books in Braille to assist children in need on the Eastside have been presented in his name to the Kindering Center and the Bellevue School district.

Thanks to Bob Holert for his introduction of our speaker.