This blog post was written by Megan Henderson, our Senior Communications & Events Officer.

Lucia in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

We’d like to introduce you to a Group member from Aru in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lucia.

Lucia is a single-mother of five children. When she was young, her parents did not believe in educating girls. Unfortunately, this meant Lucia was not able to finish primary school. She didn’t have the opportunity to learn how to read or write and felt she was unable to develop her own talents. Despite this, Lucia hoped that one day she would become literate and numerate. At the start of 2020 she discovered her community’s Literacy Group and everything changed.

“After three months of joining the Literacy Group, COVID-19 happened. Even though the programme stopped for a short while, in three months, I had already learnt the alphabet, basic arithmetic and was reading a little. Before I had joined the Group, I received my confirmation certificate from church. I found it recently and discovered that I had taken my friend’s certificate because at that time, I couldn’t read my own name!

Before, I had difficulty in educating my children. I was struggling to pay school fees, which meant that my two older children had left school. If the children were hospitalised, I faced the same difficulties of paying fees.

Now, because of the literacy programme, I am managing my business better and I know how to plan for my family and business. I also lead the hymns at church and I can teach Sunday School because I can read!

I can stand in front of a crowd and have no fear, I am a Group Leader and I can be social.”

Literacy and Savings Groups support members with safe financial services and access to skills training they would have difficulty accessing otherwise. Although COVID-19 made meetings less frequent, it did not stop Lucia from learning, earning, saving and investing in a brighter future. Lucia’s determination has made her a leader in her Group and her community.