Windhoek: Kabbe South Constituency councillor Raymond Sezuni has called on residents to take literacy programmes seriously in order to benefit from services that improve their lives. Speaking at the regional International Literacy Day celebrations at Impalila Island, the councillor stated that literacy restores an individual's confidence, while illiteracy silently takes it away.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Sezuni emphasized that literacy empowers an informed citizenry to take responsibility and care for the environment. He pointed out that in a country as vulnerable to drought and climate unpredictability as Namibia, functional literacy serves as a survival tool. Sezuni also highlighted that literacy breeds prosperity, asserting that no society can prosper if its people cannot perform basic tasks such as reading a simple text message, completing a loan application, or keeping a record of small business transactions.
The celebrations were held under the theme 'Literacy for People, the Planet, and Prosperity.' Sezuni explained that this theme provides a framework to reflect on the impact of national policies and literacy programmes since 2015. It assesses how improved literacy skills have contributed to advancing the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. He further mentioned that this year's celebrations would offer the international community an opportunity to examine the prevailing approaches to literacy used over the past decades, while initiating a dialogue to rethink literacy in the digital and AI era.
Sezuni encouraged the community to embrace lifelong learning opportunities, even in adulthood, emphasizing their capability to learn. He noted that the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all, aligning with Namibia's goal to become a fully literate nation through various programmes developed by the Ministry of Education over the years.
The year 2026 will mark the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day, which UNESCO established in October 1966. Since then, countries have promoted literacy as a fundamental human right and a powerful driver of peace and sustainable development.