Ukuba Ongafundile—Inkinga Yomhlaba Wonke

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eNigeria

U-ALMAZ uhlala eTopiya. Lapho indodakazi yakhe igula, udokotela wamnikeza ipheshana ayebhale kulo uhlobo lomuthi okwakumelwe awuthenge. Kodwa u-Almaz wayengakwazi ukufunda isilinganiso esifanele—kufanele ayiphuzise ongakanani, futhi nini? Ngenhlanhla, umakhelwane wakwazi ukufunda lesosiqondiso. Umuthi wasetshenziswa ngendlela efanele, futhi ingane yalulama.

URamu ungumlimi eNdiya. Lapho kufika isikhathi sokuba indodakazi yakhe ishade, wanquma ukwenza isibambiso ngendawo yakhe ukuze aboleke imali kumbolekisi wemali wakuleyondawo. Njengoba ayengakwazi ukufunda noma ukubhala, wasebenzisa isinyatheliso sesithupha sakhe ukuze asayine iphepha angaliqondi. Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva uRamu wathola ukuthi leliphepha laliyisivumelwano sokuthengisa—indawo yakhe yase ingeyomunye umuntu.

UMichael wayesebenza epulazini elikhulu e-United States. Umqondisi wakhe wamtshela ukuba aphakele izinkomo izithako zokudla. UMichael wathola amasaka amabili eshedeni, kodwa wayengenakukufunda okubhalwe kuwo. Wakhetha elingafanele. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, izinkomo zazifile. UMichael wayeziphakele ushevu. Waxoshwa ngokushesha.

Ukuba ongafundile—ukungakwazi ukufunda nokubhala—kwalahlekisela uMichael umsebenzi wakhe. Kwalahlekisela umqashi wakhe umhlambi omkhulu wezinkomo zenyama. Kwalahlekisela uRamu indawo yakhe. Kwakungase kulahlekisele u-Almaz umntanakhe.

Ngokwe-UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), umphakathi wabantu abadala abangaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezine emhlabeni—amadoda nabesifazane abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-960—awukwazi ukufunda noma ukubhala.a Emazweni asathuthuka, umuntu omdala oyedwa kwabathathu akafundile. Njengo-Almaz, uRamu, noMichael, lezigidi azikwazi ukuqonda okushiwo uphawu lomgwaqo, iphephandaba, noma indima evela eBhayibhelini. Abakwazi ukufunda ingcebo yokwaziswa etholakala komagazini nasezincwadini. Abakwazi ukubhala incwadi noma ukugcwalisa ifomu elilula. Abaningi abakwazi ngisho nokusayina igama labo. Njengoba bengenakukwazi ukuthola imisebenzi edinga ukufunda nokubhala okuyisisekelo, abaningi bahlala bengasebenzi, amakhono abo awasetshenziswa, ubuciko babo abuthuthukiswa.

Lezibalo azihlanganisi amanani amakhulu abantu abadala abanemfundo ephansi—abakwaziyo ukufunda nokubhala izinto eziyisisekelo kodwa abangakwazi ukuyisingatha ngokuphumelelayo imisebenzi yokufunda nokubhala eyinkimbinkimbi yokuphila kwansuku zonke. E-United States kuphela, abantu abadala abanjalo babalelwa ezigidini ezingu-27.

Kuthiwani ngezingane? Nakuba izibalo zingaphelele, njengoba ukuhlolwa kungakenziwa kuwo wonke amazwe, i-United Nations Children’s Fund ilinganisela ukuthi izingane eziseminyakeni yokufunda esikoleni eziyizigidi eziyikhulu emhlabeni wonke azisoze zalubhada esikoleni. Ezinye izigidi eziyikhulu ngeke zithole ngisho nemfundo eyisisekelo. Eqinisweni, uMnyango Wezokwaziswa Komphakathi we-UN uthi ezindaweni zasemaphandleni emazweni asathuthuka, ingxenye eyodwa kuphela yezingane ethola imfundo eyisisekelo yeminyaka engaphezu kwemine. Futhi kwamanye amazwe athuthukile, izingane eziningi zichitha isikhathi esiningi ngokweqile zigqolozelene nethelevishini ukudlula ezisisebenzisa esikoleni.

Ngokuvamile izingane ezingafundile zikhula zibe abantu abadala abangafundile. Yini ebangela lenkinga yomhlaba wonke? Yini engenziwa ukuze kusizwe umuntu omdala ongakwazi ukufunda noma ukubhala? Lemibuzo izocatshangelwa esihlokweni esilandelayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Umphakathi wabantu abadala abangaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezine emhlabeni awukwazi ukufunda noma ukubhala