There’s hope amid the difficulties

Available statistics — up to four or five years ago

— appear to suggest that close to 88 per cent of Jamaicans were classified as literate; that is, able to read and write.

That’s still way behind a number of this country’s Caribbean neighbours, and, without doubt, COVID-19, which has mostly hindered or prevented face-to-face schooling since March last year, will worsen upcoming literacy indicators. However, for older Jamaicans, who go back to the early 1970s when Jamaica’s literacy rate among adults was only about 50 per cent — triggering Mr Michael Manley’s adult literacy programme — the current situation is a vast improvement.

We’ve ventured down this road as a direct result of two articles in yesterday’s Sunday Observer which touched squarely on the importance of basic literacy.

In one instance, a 13-year-old boy stole a children’s book from school and started the painful process of teaching himself to read after his inability left him humiliated in front of his class.

Helped and encouraged by a neighbour, that boy, Mr Vaughn Golding, now 25 years old, completed a welding course under the HEART Trust skills training programme and did so well he won a scholarship to Caribbean Maritime University (CMU). He completed the course in marine and offshore welding at CMU in 2019 and is now earning as well as continuing to study — probing the intricacies of automotive air conditioning.

Then there is 32-year-old mother of six Ms Reneisha Spence, who broke down in tears when speaking to our reporter because she finds herself unable to help her children with schoolwork at a time when face-to-face classes have had to be shut down because of the novel coronavirus.

She identified her downfall as early pregnancy, which forced her to drop out of school long before her time. We are left to assume that when she most needed a helping hand, none was available.

Now, she wishes she could go back to school to further her education, if only to be able to help her children.

Such stories are common place.

Thankfully for Mr Golding, who grew up in extremely poor circumstances — part of a large family — with parents who were illiterate, there was a good Samaritan. That person was a Ms Thelma Reynolds, who saw him crying on the street one day after losing his lunch money. She not only gave him lunch money, but continued to help him. She encouraged him to further his education and even helped to get him enrolled in the HEART skills training programme.

Such has been the impact of Ms Reynolds that Mr Golding remembers the exact day she died, May 15, 2015. Her loss must have been a gut-wrenching experience.

Mr Golding tells us that, even after death, his late mentor remained an inspiration: “From there I’ve had the determination in myself that I’m going to make her proud,” he said.

That story reminds us that for all the many difficulties confronting this country, and all the many failings that need correction, all of us can do our little bit to help by reaching out to those around us. In such small ways, we can all make a world of difference.

Except for the views expressed in the column above, the articles published on this page do not necessarily represent the views of the Jamaica Observer.