My name is Grace Kahima,I was born in 1976. I’m married with four children.  I was illiterate until Response Network sensitized my community in 2006. I did not even know how to write my name. 

One day, my friends and I took our babies to the clinic for under five and vaccination. My baby was weighed, after the weighing exercise was completed, the Clinical officer asked the women to collect their children’s cards. The women started getting their cards one by one. I watched as they collected until one card remained. I picked the card but since I could not read, I never noticed that the name on the card did not match that of my child.  On our way back, a certain woman asked my child’s name, I told her he was Jordan. Then the woman checked on my card, she noticed that i had a wrong card because it was bearing a different name. I had to return to the clinic after walking for 5km. At the clinic, I found that, the card was exchanged with a different woman who was also illiterate. After this experience, I attended Response Network’s sensitization meeting where we were encouraged to start our own education activities through self help. We later formed a literacy class called Siakasasa.

I encouraged all my friends to join literacy classes and I thank Response Network for sensitizing the people in Simwatachela chiefdom. I am now able to read and write.