While there are always plenty of smiles to go around at Invisible Children Uganda’s Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) graduation celebrations, Mauricio’s stood out. As chairperson for his savings group, Mauricio couldn’t be prouder of the successes he and his course mates reached upon the completion of the FAL curriculum.

“Functional Adult Literacy has helped us a lot. We used to not know how to add 10 plus 2 but now we are in the position to use more complicated addition and subtraction,” he said. “Some used to not know how to write their names but now they can write them.”

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Mauricio celebrates with other FAL graduates.

Mauricio thanked Invisible Children specifically for supporting the “older people.” By this he means the community members who never had the chance to complete their education as a result of Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army conflict. The Functional Adult Literacy program gave them a new opportunity, a new skill set and renewed confidence.

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At the World Education Forum held in Dakar, Senegal in 2000, six measurable goals were developed to meet the “learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015.” Led by UNESCO and various coordinating agencies and organizations, the plan to achieve “Education for All” includes:

1) Expand early childhood care and education

2) Provide free and compulsory primary education for all

3) Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults

4) Increase adult literacy

5) Achieve gender parity and equality

6) Improve the quality of education

While gains have been made in many of these areas since the goals were first proposed, there is still a long way to go.While Uganda’s adult literacy level has been improving (up from 66% in 2002 to 73 percent in 2013), tens of thousands still lack access to basic education, especially in the northern region. They are some of the 774 million adults around the world still cannot read or write, many of them women. Programs like FAL exist to fill that gap.

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Lakot Santa said that her proudest accomplishment in FAL is writing her name.

“I’m really appreciative for Invisible Children for having taken FAL up in their programs. I used to not know how to write my name Lakot but now I can write and read it well,” she said.

Another participant chimed in. She said that she still sells produce in a local market and now that she knows how to use a scale, she can ensure exactly how much she is giving to each customer.

“We used to measure and sell using a cup. I used to be exploited by the buyers, but now I’m in the position to know when I’m being cheated,” she said.

“Now, I am happy and I am never cheated,” Santa said.

Help us continue instilling confidence in rural communities in northern Uganda. A small bit of support goes a long way in helping Invisible Children’s Functional adult literacy programming to operate effectively.