LITERACY AND DEVELOPMENT



Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

 

Cholera has transformed the capital city. The fresh air that freely flows between the trees on Cairo road is appealing. The way the eyes can now sweep over a distance without obstructions of make-shift structures, is amazing. A lot of people are talking highly about the capital now. The question is, did it have to take an epidemic, did people need to die in order for the nation to wake up to the filth that was choking streets, drainages and every little space or passage? There is a whole lot of whys and wherefores that others will and probably have already talked about, this article is highlighting literacy and how it is a catalyst to development. Someone once said that if more women were literate, 50% of the diseases that affect them would be reduced and in most cases out rightly eradicated. Human resource is the largest component of development as long as they are literate enough to understand and interpret the visions, policies, etc.

Clearly, there has been a lot of illiteracy on many issues in this era of filth in the capital city. Hygiene for one. Is it a lack of understanding or the simple fact that people just don’t care? Both vendor and buyer should know better not to operate in undesignated areas. ‘Failure of systems’, you say but why are the designated areas being shunned so viciously?

The unsanitary conditions and lack of services such as garbage collection in these illegal vending spots have taught the nation unforgettable lessons. When people are literate they will not only be able to read and write but will understand their responsibilities as citizens and be patriotic enough to curb such damaging consequences. Responsibility is another. The phrase, ‘we are waiting for the government’, has not only promoted laziness but has to a large extent led to lawlessness. Again both vendor and buyer should appreciate the differentiation between a citizen and national leaders, together they form government. When laws are put in place, the responsibility is on a citizen to obey. Example, littering. What role does a national leader have, when a citizen buys a fruit, eats it and then throws left overs through the window of a moving vehicle?

The whole point is that each and every individual should educate themselves on how best they can contribute to the development of this country. This does not require a degree or some rocket science. In the villages, where most people are said to be uneducated, it is very clean. Year in, year out, cholera breaks out in the major cities of Zambia but never in the rural areas, why not? What then is this literacy? Is it only the ability to read and write? The other meaning of literacy is competence or knowledge in a specified area or subject. Surely, the latter does not necessarily require that one goes to school because some of that knowledge is common, isn’t it? The final question therefore is, without a soldier holding a gun and standing next to you, what will you do to maintain the cleanliness that has been achieved over this short period?