Creating Opportunities

Tragedy struck Naomi’s family when she was just 15 years old. Both of her parents died, leaving her the sole caregiver for her two siblings in her home country of Zambia. She had to quit school to take care of them, so she didn’t learn to read and write.

“I always felt hopeless and viewed life as meaningless without an education,” she says. “I admired people who could read and write.”

Now 29, Naomi makes a living selling tomatoes in the local market, but it’s barely enough for her family. “It is not easy to survive with such a small business while looking after the family and supporting them with all the necessary daily needs,” she says. She joined a Bible-based Literacy course to create more opportunities for herself and her family.

“I knew I was going to learn about reading and writing. I knew nothing about Jesus Christ, but now I know so much about Him,” she says. “I am a new believer and a born-again Christian. I am now happy because my life has changed. Before, I was in hell and was not happy. I did not have peace of mind.”

Naomi is now a member of a study group and attends a local church. She sometimes even leads the group. She used to get mocked for attending classes, but that didn’t stop her. “A lot of people used to laugh at me when I was carrying my Bible-based Literacy books to class, even children from my compound laughed at me,” she remembers.

Thankfully she continued attending, and now she is seeing the fruits of her labor. “I am enjoying reading and writing, and I can read anything on my own,” she says. “I can read any paper I come across, write my name, share Scriptures from the Bible at church. I can also read instructions from medical doctors on prescriptions from the clinic.”

The class has influenced Naomi’s dreams for the future. “I hope to become a great preacher of the Gospel,” she beams. “I hope all my family members will continue to live in God’s way.”