A Matter of Urgency
Remember these two numbers: 775 and 1.19 trillion. According to statistics from the International Literacy Organization, approximately 775 million people in the world are functionally illiterate. Let that marinate for a second. Of which 64% are women alone with 12% of the global population and 126 million youths, living their lives without the ability to read and write or just doing so in on a basic below-literacy level in their native language. This means they have let a lot of life’s opportunities pass them because of this.
And, for the other 1.19 trillion? Well, that is how much illiteracy is costing the global economy, in both developing and developed nations. How, you ask. Because due to limited opportunities for income and employment, poor health or welfare dependency, this ever widening chasm between the rich and poor just grows and grows and pretty soon will be out of visible reach from the other.
