“If you are non-literate, you walk in the darkness, you don’t see anything. You live in the light, but you cannot see. Being literate changes everything,” 

– Arun, Cambodia 

Transforming Lives Through Literacy and the Bible

Many rural Cambodian people have not had access to quality education due to the nation’s devastating history of war and genocide. Non-literate Cambodian people are vulnerable to fraud and exploitation and remain trapped in generational poverty. The most non-literate people in the country are those in remote locations, ethnic minorities, migrants, and people with disabilities. 

When Bible Society began distributing the Bible in Cambodia, they found that although people (including those from other religious backgrounds) wanted to receive the gift of a Bible, they were not able to read it. “They said you talk to us about the word of God, but we cannot read. So how can we understand what is in this book? Teach us to read first so that we can have this privilege to read the word of God,” shares Arun. 

Arun is from the United Bible Societies (UBS), Global Mission team, and works in the area of Bible translation. In fact, he is the coordinator for the UBS Bible Translation Roadmap Asia Pacific. Arun lives in Cambodia and works from there. He has seen firsthand the personal impact literacy programs can have on marginalised people. In Cambodia, literacy training not only opens the Bible for people to encounter God’s love, it also opens a pathway to further education and breaking the cycle of poverty in communities. 

The Bible Society in Cambodia (BSC) started the Learning Through Listening literacy project in 2003. “As Christians, we cannot proclaim the gospel or distribute the Scripture while people are non-literate,” says Arun. “This is what Bible ministry is supposed to do. We do not only give people the Bible, but also help them read and interact with the word of God,” he says. These literacy programs make the Bible accessible to all people, while also giving vulnerable people invaluable literacy skills which empowers them in all areas of life. 

Literacy Gives Hope and Opportunity

Partnering with local churches, BSC trains thousands of literacy students each year deepening their personal faith and helping them to gain skills to pursue their personal goals; from supporting their children’s education to starting a small business. Graduates from the literacy program receive a certificate and a New Testament Bible in their cradle language, which is precious to them. 

Both adults and children participate in the literacy program, with many graduates returning to give back to the next generation. “Looking back after 20 years, some of the children that joined our class over the years now volunteer as facilitators for the class to teach others. Some became pastors,” shares Arun. “Two young people, thanks to literacy class, went to high school then to university. One become a midwife and the other works at the bank. It’s interesting to see them go from being non-literate to becoming people prominent in society,” he says. 

“We help them not only, with the capacity to read, but also to improve their life. Many people come to the class as non-Christian, but when they discover Jesus, they decide to give themselves to follow him,” says Arun.  

“That is the most wonderful thing about literacy for me, it opens the door,” says Arun. Both practically and spiritually, doors begin to open to those who can read independently. “When you are illiterate, you cannot imagine how handicapped you are in life,” shares Arun. From basic things like catching the bus to the complexity of banking, without literacy life is a struggle. 

 Arun notes that in modern society keeping people non-literate limits their ability to engage with their broader community and the world through technology. “If you are non-literate, you walk in the darkness, you don’t see anything. You live in the light, but you cannot see. Being literate changes everything,” he says.  

“Literacy gives you a dream. They never thought like this. The two people I mentioned earlier, without literacy, how can they reach this level of professionalism? It’s unthinkable.  Literacy gives them a chance to live normally,” says Arun. 

Prayer Needs 

• Pray that God will use the program to bring salvation to students and spiritual growth to believers. 
• Pray that churches will be diligent in recruiting and training new volunteers so that more classes can be offered. 
• Pray that God will continue to transform rural communities through the literacy projects. 
• Pray for more communities and authorities to open their doors to the program.