Dolla’s Journey from Illiteracy to Confidence and Independence

At just 21 years old, Dolla Magareta of Mungazi Village in Phalombe District is discovering what it means to read, write and manage her small vegetable business with confidence.

For years, Dolla lived with the challenges of being unable to read or write. Poverty had forced her out of school at an early age, leaving her without basic literacy and numeracy skills. Today, however, her story is changing through the Bible Society of Malawi’s Literacy for Women in Africa (LWA) Project.

Dolla grew up in a family that struggled to provide basic necessities such as food, clothing and soap. Continuing with her education became difficult, and she eventually dropped out of primary school. She later married and became a mother, still unable to read or write.

The consequences went beyond the classroom. Being unable to read affected her confidence and participation in community and church life. At times, people who could read mocked her, leaving her embarrassed and afraid of situations that might expose her inability to read.

“When I went to church, I was afraid to sit in the front rows. I would sit at the back because I was scared that someone might give me a Bible and ask me to read,” Dolla recalls.

An Opportunity to Begin Again

A turning point came when the village chief announced that the Bible Society of Malawi, through the LWA Project, would offer free adult literacy classes in Mungazi Village.

For Dolla, it was an opportunity to reclaim something poverty had taken away from her. She enrolled and began attending classes.

From April to October 2026, Dolla balanced her studies with caring for her child and running her small vegetable business. Her determination soon began to produce results.

Today, she can write her name, read books and perform basic mathematical calculations, including addition, subtraction and division.

These may appear to be simple skills, but for Dolla they are transforming everyday life. As a small-scale vegetable trader, numeracy means she can calculate sales and money herself rather than relying on someone else.

“I am very excited that today I am receiving my certificate of completion. I am extremely happy that I can write my name, read books, and do addition, subtraction and division. I will no longer depend on someone else to help me calculate when I am doing my vegetable business,” she says.

More Than Learning to Read

For Dolla, literacy has become more than an academic achievement. It has brought greater independence and self-confidence, while giving her practical skills that she can apply in her business, home and community.

She is not stopping here. Having completed this stage of learning, Dolla is continuing with higher-level literacy classes to strengthen her skills further.

Her experience demonstrates the wider purpose of the LWA Project: helping women who missed out on formal education to develop literacy and numeracy skills that create opportunities for lifelong learning. The project particularly supports literacy in Lomwe and Yao, two non-dominant languages spoken by communities in Malawi.

For the Bible Society of Malawi, literacy also has an important connection to its Scripture mission. Helping people learn to read in a language they understand gives them greater opportunity to engage personally with written information, participate more confidently in society and, importantly, read and engage with the Scriptures for themselves.

Dolla is grateful for the opportunity she has received and hopes the programme will continue reaching other women facing circumstances similar to hers.

“I am really thankful to the Bible Society and its LWA Project. What you have done for me is very important and will help improve my social and economic life. I just ask you not to stop helping people like me who are less privileged. We have nowhere else to go. We need your help and assistance.”

A New Chapter

Dolla’s journey is a powerful reminder that missing out on education early in life does not have to mean missing out forever.

Given another opportunity, women like Dolla can learn, regain confidence and acquire practical skills that strengthen their families and livelihoods.

For Dolla, being able to write her own name, read a book and calculate the proceeds from her vegetable business represents something much bigger: dignity, independence and hope for a better future for herself and her child.

Her message to other women who missed out on education is simple but powerful:

Women who missed out on education should not be left behind. They, too, deserve the chance to learn.

Through the Literacy for Women in Africa Project, the Bible Society of Malawi continues to contribute towards reducing female illiteracy by giving women opportunities to develop reading and numeracy skills in their mother languages, while opening doors to lifelong learning and greater engagement with Scripture.