Why Can Literacy Change Human Life?

Education and Culture

Zulfa Salman Aman

Assalamu’alaikum wr.wb

Do you know that 2/3 of the world’s lowest literate adults are women? Do you know that
literacy classified as human rights? Do you know that literacy empowers women and girls?
Do you know that literacy positively impacts economic growth beyond the local community?
Do you know that literacy lifts individuals out of poverty? Do you know that my mouth is
going to be foamy if I keep tell you that there’s so many profit from literacy?

Hi, good morning! My name is Zulfa Salman and may I ask you something? Did you read a
book this morning? Please give me your biggest smile if you have read a book this morning.
Give me your smile and I will know that you have read a book today. From what I see, some
of you have read a book and some of you haven’t. For those who smile to me, congratulations
you already pass step one for being a better person. For those who doesn’t smile to me,
congratulations you have still so many time to change your habit.

From the beginning, you sure know what topic I'm going to take up today. Yes, literacy!
Literacy, everyone, one word consisting of eight letters. One word that can change human
life. Why, why that single little word can change the complicated life of humans? Because
there’s so many things that can change people perspectives or life, for example, war, death,
and life crisis. But, you can, we can, change our life with great will and without agony or
distress. How? Simple, you just need literacy in your life.

Basically, literacy cannot be separated by book. Books contain opinions, points of view, or
facts disclosed by the author. Books contain new things. Books contain all the different
worlds, magic, science, history, fairy tales, and everything that cannot be imagined exists in
this world.

Have you ever read a book that when you open the book, you can't stop reading the book
over and over again, because you find something new. A point of view that you have never
met before? Have you?

Well, I have. So, when I was in elementary school, I didn't have any picture of love. Love
looks foggy and blurry in my eyes. Then one day, my friend brought me a book, she told me,
“Zulfa, you have to read this. But don't get caught by other people. It’s our secret". I accept
and read the book quietly. I opened the book page by page, I read it word for word, and I
found the meaning of love that I never knew before. A sweet and thrilling love.

Do you know what book it is? Dilan 1990. Yes, I've been reading that book since I was in
Elementary School. And since then, I began to recognize things that teenagers enjoy. I
understand that there is a special relationship between man and woman, between two human
beings, which is called as love. I got all of that from reading.

If you assume that my personal evidence is not sufficient to prove that literacy can change
people's lives, then let science do the talking. I mean, who can deny scientific facts, right?
First, quoted from Bustle, research has shown that reading improves brain connectivity. Have
you ever heard the teacher talking and explaining something in front of the class, but it was
very difficult to understand what the teacher said? Try reading more books and you will feel
the differences.

Second, literacy puts the reader in the position of the character, figuratively and biologically.
Third, literacy increases human working memory capacity. Reading, unlike watching or
listening to the media, gives the brain more time to stop, think, process, and imagine the
narratives that enter us.

Imagine how wonderful life would be if you had no trouble remembering trivial things, like
turning off the water tap before traveling. Imagine how much fun it would be in school, if
you didn't have to put on a blank face every time the teacher explained something. Imagine
how colorful life would be, if you could feel the pounding sensation of being chased by a
psychopath without having to feel it in real life.

So, how? Have you believed that literacy can change human life? Because, I have. Try to
read more books, because literacy change not only our perspective but our way of thinking.
Also, last but not least, I may have had some mistakes in delivering this speech because I am
also a human being, and I, genuinely, ask for your apology. Remember, like what success
people said, “words change worlds.” Thank you for your attention.

Wassalamu’alaikum wr.wb.