Women in Lavu Village in Chipata District are taking advantage of the adult learning initiative by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services to improve their lives.

One of the learners Catherine Ngoma ,25, said before she joined the class, she could not read and write which made it difficult for her to access information and sign documents.

“I didn’t even know how to write my name because I have never been to school. I am glad that through this programme I am now able to read and write,” she said.

Another learner Mary Banda ,51, said the women are not only taught how to to read and write, but also nutrition and business skills.

“We now know what kind of food to give our children for them to grow well, we also know how to calculate our profits from our small businesses,” she said.

She further thanked Government through the Ministry for the initiative and other programme being implemented which are aimed empowering rural women.

And Class instructor Ludwina Zulu urged other women and members of the community who never had the opportunity to go school to join literacy classes, stressing that there was no age limit to literacy.