Life opens up with literacy

At 26, Rebecca was extremely shy and had a very low self-esteem, especially when it came to her writing skills. She avoided any form of writing if she could, relying on her mother to fill out forms for her, or to help her send text messages to family or friends. But Rebecca, who was recently engaged, wanted to become more independent.

A friend recommended the 26TEN program to Rebecca and they went along together on the first day.

Learning to read and write as an adult is a time-consuming and often frustrating process, but Rebecca has persevered, and it is exciting to see her willingness to try and not be afraid to make mistakes.

Rebecca has developed a growing awareness of different sounds used in the English language, which has influenced her capacity to read and write. She keeps an ever-growing list of new words and keeps a record of her daily activities and appointments in a diary, which has developed her organisational skills and independence.

She has also started to keep a journal, writing short stories about important events in her life, recording her thoughts and ideas. She is becoming a much more confident person, realising that she has the capacity to take advantage of new opportunities, and that with hard work and perseverance she can achieve her goals.

As Rebecca’s confidence has increased, she has also begun to consider how she can make a difference in society. She is currently considering different volunteering opportunities available. Her goal is to take advantage of her improving literacy skills to train as a barista and find work in a cafe and develop greater independence.