What Do Financial Literacy Classes For Adults In Developing Countries Look Like?

GFA offers financial literacy classes for adults in Asia. Over 250 million women in Asia are illiterate in both math and reading.¹ This illiteracy leaves women susceptible to abuse and fraud. For example, if someone can’t do basic math, he or she is highly likely to get taken advantage of in the marketplace or when making agreements for rent or other living expenses.

GFA’s literacy classes include instruction for reading, writing and basic math. In 2018, 61,880 women learned to read and write through GFA’s literacy classes.² A student in literacy training is given a book titled, A New Beginning, and that’s what it is! She learns the alphabet of her language and how to form letters and numbers with a pencil.

Through literacy classes the women:

• Learn to read and write – The teachers start with the basics of how letters are formed and the sounds they make. Then students learn how to write on their own, opening a new world of opportunities for them.
• Learn basic math – Women learn how numbers work together and the basics of math. With these new skills, they are able to secure fair prices at the market. They will be able to understand rental agreements and other contracts. They may also learn to create a budget and live within those parameters.
• Become better able to provide for the family – Once a woman is literate in reading, writing and math, she is able to provide in ways she couldn’t before. She is qualified for higher-income jobs and opportunities. She can help her children with schoolwork, read to them and teach them from God’s Word too.