T4 Global Non Profit International

Africa seems to continually be lagging behind the rest of the world in several aspects. Sadly, literacy is one of them. The lack of literacy can affect generations, because parents who cannot read or write won't be able to teach their children either. There are quite a variety reasons for the lack of literacy in Africa which will be outlined here.



Monetary



No matter what county, having a functional amount of money is the key. The typical income of the poor in Africa hovers around $30. For comparison, the poverty line in America for a small family is $21,000, quite a discrepancy. A family seeking to survive on $30 a year in Africa will not be able to afford to send their children to school. Most money must go to feeding the family and trying to survive.



Poor Schooling



You will find children which have been fortunate enough to be able to attend school. While they've got a better outlook for literacy, they still face an uphill battle. School rooms are typically very crowded,sometimes with 70 to 80 children in one class room. There are generally no desks and possibly not even benches for the students to sit on. With this kind of environment, it is very difficult for students to learn.



Lack of Libraries



Much of Africa�s history is passed down in oral traditions. While this creates a fascinating storytelling experience, it also inhibits literacy. Since much of the continents and its countries history is within the minds of its people, very little of it has been written down. The concept of having a community library for literacy is lost to its people.This leads to a not enough libraries, which means no books.



Government Corruption



The corruption of African governments has been well documented. It has been determined corruption takes away over $140 billion dollars from African economies. A very small population of Africans holds the majority of the money. The rest of the country is forced to live on meager wages, and explains why poverty is so prevalent. In stead of building schools and libraries, the governments choose to hold the money themselves while their constituents suffer. There is little money for countries and communities to build their own.



War



Africa is a continent that's seemingly always at civil war with itself. There are many reasons for this, most notably the lack of support for the government and the underground diamond industry. A country at war is no place for people to learn to read and write. When you�re fighting for your life, there�s no place to devote time for literacy.

These are some of the more obvious reasons for the lack of literacy in Africa. Many steps have been in taken in more developed countries to help Africa, but there is much work to be done. A highly functioning Africa is not just beneficial to Africa itself, but every nation across the world.
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