Halina’s husband supported her and their daughter, Nadia, and for a while, the family was doing well. But then her husband died in a road accident, leaving Halina alone with their little girl. Suddenly a widow, Halina struggled to pick up the pieces of her life. She needed to provide for herself and Nadia. But she had never learned to read, write or do basic math, which severely limited her job options.
Worry weighed on Halina. Her own opportunities were scarce, limited by her inability to read. Could she make a good future for her daughter? Or would Nadia be held back like her?
Disadvantaged by Illiteracy
Halina found work as a day laborer—one of the few options available to a woman who could not read—and toiled to provide for her daughter. She worked until she was weary, yet she struggled to afford even the barest essentials for herself and Nadia.
Sadly, this struggle is common among people who are unable to read. "Literacy—the ability to read and write—is arguably the single most important factor in determining a person's career arc," World Population Review explains. "For those who can read and write, the range of possible vocations is vast—even highly skilled, high-paying careers are within reach. For those who cannot, the options are extremely limited—even unskilled minimum-wage jobs can be difficult to obtain." 1
Even when people like Halina do get a job, their inability to read leaves them vulnerable to employers who might exploit them with harmful labor contracts or underpayment. In Halina's case, she knew her employers were paying her even less than the small wage they owed her. But without the ability to do basic math, she couldn't hold them accountable and insist on a right payment. She was forced to simply take what she was given.
Vendors at the market also took advantage of Halina, charging more than the going rate for the food she and her daughter needed to survive. Often, she could only provide one meal a day.
She worked until she was weary, yet she struggled to afford even the barest essentials for herself and Nadia.
Halina worried. Could she keep food on the table? Could she keep her daughter clothed?
And what about school? An education could mean the difference between struggling to survive, like Halina was now, or flourishing. She had to keep Nadia in school. But that cost money—money Halina wasn't sure she could provide.
Peace for Her Worried Heart
For several years, Halina and Nadia scraped by on Halina’s meager wages. Then, one day at work, Halina met a woman named Kaia. Halina told Kaia about her life and her struggles. Kaia listened with care and then shared about Jesus, inviting Halina to come to church with her. Halina accepted, and that same month, she attended the Sunday service at Kaia’s church.
After the service, Halina met GFA pastor Lachlan. She shared her sorrows with him and requested prayer. The pastor and congregation asked the Lord to give Halina peace and grace for the many challenges she faced. After their prayer, Halina felt peace descend on her heart. Pastor Lachlan talked with her about Jesus, encouraging her to trust in Him as the One who would guide her until the end.
For so long, Halina had worked and struggled and suffered alone. But if Pastor Lachlan was right, perhaps she wasn’t forsaken after all. Halina and Nadia started attending Sunday services together, and in a short time, they both embraced the love of Christ.
A Life-Changing Investment
As Halina became integrated into the local body of believers, she gained a new family of brothers and sisters—people who cared about her and were committed to loving her in both word and deed. Soon after Halina began attending the church, she was invited to join a literacy class that Pastor Lachlan’s wife was teaching.
GFA-supported literacy classes are hosted by local churches in response to high illiteracy rates among the women in their communities. In some such regions, more than 30 out of every 100 women are unable to read and write. Like Halina, many of these women are at a disadvantage economically and socially—at risk of being cheated, unable to get a good job and painfully aware that a whole dimension of the world is off limits to them.
At GFA-supported literacy classes, however, women receive loving, hands-on instruction from national missionaries or local believers—often pastors’ wives or Sisters of the Cross—who walk their students through a series of lessons that teach reading, basic math and writing alongside concepts such as hygiene and first aid and biblical lessons. Through these classes, women receive a new sense of dignity and are equipped to thrive as members of society.
When Halina received the invitation to join the literacy class at her church, she jumped at the opportunity. Here, at last, was a chance to equip herself with the tools she’d been missing for so many years. It wouldn’t be easy. Attending the classes would mean she’d have to miss some work, forfeiting precious income, but it was an investment Halina was willing to make.
As she began learning the letters and numbers, Halina’s world gained a whole new dimension. Labels, signs and notice boards took on meaning as Halina began to understand the characters. She and Nadia were able to work on lessons together, with Nadia helping her mother after her own schoolwork was done. And, perhaps best of all, Halina was soon able to read the Bible—the words of her Redeemer—for herself.
Now that she was able to read and write, Halina could stand up for herself and ensure she received full wages from her employers. As a result, she began making more money. She could also identify dishonest prices at the market, enabling her to spend her hard-earned money effectively.
Today, Halina is no longer plagued by worries of how to provide for Nadia or whether she’ll be able to give her daughter a chance at a bright future. Instead, Halina has been able to send Nadia to a good school, where her daughter is studying in 11th grade. Unlike Halina, Nadia is free to focus on her education and can spend her teen years investing in her future. Like the woman in Proverbs 31, Halina can now smile at the days to come (see Proverbs 31:25).
You Can Help Women in Need!
Halina is only one of many. In both Africa and Asia, marginalized women like Halina are rediscovering their dignity and facing the future with hope through programs such as literacy classes. Missionaries like Pastor Lachlan are in tune with the needs of the women in their communities, and they are dedicated to uplifting women through the practical love of Christ.
Today, you can come alongside these missionaries to bless even more women like Halina. Through GFA World’s Christmas Gift Catalog, you can help give the gift of literacy, offer support to widows or equip women to make an income. Together, we can enable women in need to smile at the days to come.
*Names of people and places may have been changed for privacy and security reasons. Images are GFA stock photos used for representation purposes and are not the actual person/location, unless otherwise noted.
-
“Literacy Rate by Country 2025.”World Population Review. November 21, 2025.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/literacy-rate-by-country.