KINDIANA

KINDIANA
It’s like being reborn
Kindiana is a 27 years old woman from Ethiopia, who has just completed a six-month literacy programme. She tells her own story:
The very idea of sending a girl to school was formerly considered immoral in our society. If there was any opportunity at all for education, it was always the boys who were given this privilege. A girl was supposed to stay at home until the day of her marriage. And once married not to the man of her choice, but to the one who promised the biggest amount of dory, her chances to going to school became absolutely inexistent. In fact in this new phase of her life she had to face many other injustices and hardships. Everyday she would have to go to the river to fetch water, collect wood for the fire and prepare the food; she looked after the cattle and household and that was how she would live for the rest of her life.
But times have changed a small local reading centre was set up in our village and those who had already learnt to read would read out to the others what was in the newspapers. When my turn came to attend a literacy class I studied hard and in six months I was able to read and write. Today whenever I get newspapers I enjoy reading them aware of things. It’s like being reborn or like a blind man who has regained his sight. I never thought this would happen in my life time.
(Source: communication media and education for development- the case of Ethiopia by FIKRE MARIEM TSEHAI).

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Literacy: the ability to read and writ.
Opportunity: a chance to do something that you would like to do.
Privilege: a special advantage that only one person or group has.
Dowry: an amount of money witch a woman’s family gives to the man she is marring.
Hardships: difficulty or problems.
Fetch: to go for and bring back something.
Cattle: male and female cows.
Aware: knowing about something.