Joy for literacy graduates

Eighteen students graduated from an Adventist literacy school in Lae, Papua New Guinea, on October 16.

The 2 Mile Seventh-day Adventist Adult Literacy School was started in 2014 by Rosemary Ewande—a teacher then and now—after she attended literacy training in Lae that was conducted by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency.

At the time, Mrs Ewande was aware of the six critical issues that affect women in PNG—one of them being illiteracy. So she decided to fight illiteracy head-on. The literacy school operated through to 2019, until the COVID-19 outbreak, with classes resuming again in 2022.

Student Rose Wima shared, “When I was a child, I didn’t have the chance to go to school because I have a lot of siblings and my parents could not afford the school fees. I grew up without the ability to read and write. But now I learnt a lot of things and am happy.”

Local Adventist leader Nancy Enopa said, “Literacy is the pathway that opens doors to many good things.”