Yesterday was a very special day for Ramad. After months of pouring over the Literacy Primers to learn to read and write in his own language, this Mwinika man received his 1st Level Literacy certificate!
Ramad is 41 years old and from one of the most prominent families in our community. In the last three years however, he has lived through some dreadful experiences: he lost all feeling in his legs after an injury (he was felling a tree for his carpentry work, when it prematurely broke and fell on his back), his wife left him as a result… He moved in with his parents, but then this year his mom got very sick and his father died. Ramad has been left in a wheelchair (that we got for him last year) with only a younger brother and his brother’s wife to care for him.
He came to us for help. He has borrowed (and lost) money from us before and we realized that money is not the answer to a long term solution – it hardly ever is! :-). But by teaching him skills, especially administrative skills (using the computer etc), we thought he may be able to secure a good job. Ramad’s Portuguese is quite good and he has studied school to a higher level than most. The first step was to do the eMwinika Literacy course which he immediately immerged himself in! He spend hours each day practising and by spending one morning a week here for Literacy classes, as well as doing the homework Nadia gave him and visiting his house one more afternoon each week, he was able to finish the course in roughly the same time as a “full time” student.
Yesterday, he did the usual test and was able to pass with flying colours! And he insisted to immediately started on the 2nd Level Literacy course :-). Early next year he can start to learn to use the computer. Through all of this we discovered that Ramad has a talent for writing folk tales. Many Mwinika can tell folk tales, but few have the ability to write it down in a way that can be easily followed and “flows” well. Through this course we discovered that the Lord has blessed this man with a real talent! How good is our Father that, when one door closes, always opens another.
The best part is that Ramad, through his contact with us, became more interested in the Bible teaching. He started to come to the teaching, but has missed much. Yesterday he also received a solar player with all the Bible lessons and Scripture reading on, so that he can listen to the lessons he missed at home. Pray that the Lord will speak into His heart and that Ramad will be open to receive Him. (Photo 2: Ramad with Amer, receiving instructions on how to use the solar player).