Honored, Respected, and Educated
At nearly 50 years old, Kushali had known nothing other than a constant struggle for survival. As a child, she had only attended school for a few years before poverty forced her to drop out. When she married her husband Rafey later in life, they barely scraped by on his income working as a laborer. Once their two children came along, their situation became even more desperate.
Eventually, Kushali began working as a domestic laborer to contribute to their family income. However, a new problem had arisen that made their fight for survival near impossible. Rafey had become an alcoholic, and in addition to being emotionally absent from the family, he wasted all his earnings feeding his addiction.
Kushali’s meager income was nowhere near sufficient to meet their family’s needs. Even worse, she had forgotten what little education she had received as a child. She struggled to read the street signs and bus numbers to get around town, and she couldn’t even sign her own name. Perhaps the most detrimental was that she could neither count her wages nor understand how much it cost to buy necessary things like food and clothing. She had no idea if she was being cheated in her pay or purchases.
As Kushali walked to work each day, she daydreamed of an easier life. One day during her walk, she happened to meet a woman named Selesta, and when they struck up a conversation, Kushali shared about her situation. Selesta, who led a nearby Adult Literacy Class, advised Kushali that gaining literacy skills would greatly help her circumstances. Kushali accepted Selesta’s invitation to join the class and began attending every day.
Learning did not come easily to Kushali, but she decided that she’d rather struggle to make her life better than to continually endure the difficulties of poverty. With Selesta’s patient instruction and constant encouragement, Kushali slowly learned the basics of reading, writing, and math. She can now easily verify her wages and make purchases with confidence! She can also sign her name, use the bus system safely, and navigate the city streets. Best of all, Kushali says, “I feel honored and respected in my family and the society after I have learned to read and write.”
“I feel honored and respected in my family and the society after I have learned to read and write.”
The Bible-based lessons also taught Kushali about Jesus, and she began praying to Him—in addition to her many other gods. She attends prayer meetings with Selesta but has not yet left her deities and received Jesus as her Savior.
More than anything, Kushali longs to see Rafey freed from alcoholism. Please pray that Kushali and Rafey would both receive salvation in Jesus and find true freedom in Him.
