Help us help Kiwi parents who want to read to their children

$110 donated

Given by 6 generous donors in 21 days

Imagine not being able to read to your children or help them with their homework. Most of our students are parents. And it's not their fault

Nationwide

Adults with literacy problems are normal people, like most of the people you know. They are ashamed of their literacy problem and so they hide it. They are not dumb but they feel dumb. Usually lack of literacy skills has lead to them being unemployed or in very low paid jobs.

Once they receive tuition they are able to write notes to school without feeling like the teacher will judge them, to help their children, to get jobs or promotions. When you help the parent you improve the prospects of the children as well.

One of our students read the menu at a restaurant for the first time recently. Another bought their first book.

We provide volunteer coaches (who we train by skype) to work with students 3-5 days a week for 30 minutes a day. The coach rings (or skypes) the student and listens to their reading, and helps them to practice their spelling words. The student posts writing back to the coach once a week.

Here is a link to a Radio New Zealand programme, about the Adult Literacy Trust, on Country Life. There is an article and under the article is a link that will play the actual programme as it was broadcast. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife/20160415#audio-201797234

Why do people in NZ end up with a literacy problem? Why do we claim it's not their fault? Most literacy problems are due to kids being shifted from school to school, being hungry or sick and getting behind. For many there was violence or drug addiction at home. Some were the naughty kids at school - because it took the focus off the fact they were struggling. Others were very quiet and tried not to draw attention to themselves. How did they slip through the cracks? Most of the time the schools tried to help but had limited resources. It is hard to break through the shame and stigma when a person feels dumb. A lot of the time the child was whisked away by parents shifting to new places for work or to escape debts, just as the school was getting to grips with the issue. Sometimes the parents had literacy problems and couldn't help their kids.

Our students are trying to break that cycle, and to give their children a better life.

Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust's involvement (page creator)

The Adult Literacy Trust provides free reading and writing lessons to isolated rural adults. The volunteer coaches either ring their students or meet them on skype. Funds from this campaign will go towards paying for things that are hard to get funding for, such as toner to print student resources and volunteer costs. The Trust receives no government funding.

About us

RYALT is a non-profit organization that supplies free help to isolated teenagers and adults who have trouble with reading and writing anywhere around New Zealand.