Canada Post Literacy Awards – Individual Achievement

by Adlyn Hall

As a child growing up in Jamaica, I was only able to go to classes for about 3 years, I had difficulty attending school because of illness or having to help my parents with our land. We grew crops to sell at the market for a living, and as an only child in those times, more was expected of me at home.
At about twelve years of age, my mother sent me to live with my aunt in the city. She had her family to feed and was having trouble with that so I started to work, cleaning, babysitting, washing, ironing and cooking for others to make a little money so I could support myself. Although my aunt would take all my earnings to spend on herself and her children, I would try to keep some to buy what little I could for myself.
I soon found myself pregnant and married for the wrong reasons, with babies I loved, and a husband who wanted a slave. Since I was very young and inexperienced, I was beaten by my husband like a child if I didn’t obey his every order no matter what they were, I found myself desperate to support my children in the only way I knew how, and felt as if this was what I had to do.
I tried t o make the best of this since he at least supported us, but I could only take so much, and the day came when I got the opportunity to come to Canada. I took it. He would never have let me come so I did not tell him. I brought my kids to my mother and left him a message, and was on my way to Montréal.
When I arrived I learned quickly what hard life was about. I had never known hunger this much and although I had a job, I found that these people whom I stayed with and claimed to be helping me were taking my money and sending me to bed without dinner at night. The same I had gone through with my aunt, but worse since I was so far from home. This was one of the things that made me believe I needed my husband. I was unable to read and write and in Canada, even more than back in Jamaica, it was important in order to get a good paying job to support my family.
So I sent for my husband who came with me and my youngest son. Things were different in Canada. In Jamaica at my time there were not many jobs for women, only nurse and school teachers, and of coarse you had to be able to read and write, so that left nothing but a husband for me in order to survive. In Canada women were able to work and could even get some jobs easier than men, and the thought that I could survive without my husband made him become even worse. I had hoped that this new life would change him, that we could be a family and build a good future for our kids but things got worse and my husband started to gamble heavily. He would use our rent money for his gambling and other things he liked. He left me alone to support all of my family, both here and back in Jamaica, with no education, and only a strong will to survive. All the while abusing me because he knew I could not read and I believed him that I needed him.
I soon realized though that all my fears were useless. I was supporting my family by myself and did not have to take abuse any longer. He hit me one final time and I fought him and threw him out. He told me I would beg to have him back and that I could not survive without him. After being in Canada for a short time, I was divorced, 2 babies, and truly on my own.
As a single mother with no support I had to take what ever job I could. I was cleaning houses, working at hotels, and cleaning office spaces all at the same time. With few reading and writing skills these were the only jobs available to me to support my family. I would work eight hour shifts at the hotel and then clean office space for fiver hours at night.
When my children were old enough to go to school, helping them with their homework was hard. I had spent my life watching others, copying and listening in order to cope with things like groceries and manage my bank account and signing checks and necessary documents. I was very ashamed of not being able to read and did my best to act like I was able to. This was very hard and I survived a lot on my own instincts. I was managing but could not help my kids the way I wanted to. I encouraged them to learn and study, listened to them read and helped in any way I could.
Being unable to read I had to rely on and trust others, to help me correspond with my other 4 children that were in Jamaica with my parents. There were no phones yet where my parents lived so I had to write. I needed others to write them for me. People were usually not helpful and would not always write what I asked. One woman who claimed to be helping wrote my parents that I had died so they would stop writing me. It was only after I hadn’t heard from them in awhile that I tried to contact them and found out what had happened. My parents had been devastated and even held a funeral. I couldn’t believe anyone could be so cruel. I was taken advantage of a lot because I couldn’t read and write and people felt that meant I was stupid. They made me feel stupid and talked down to me at times. I would not take it, but found I had little friends because of it.
My father became sick with cancer and passed away shortly after. I missed him terribly and was more upset that my dream to bring all of my family here was not going to happen. I had believed that I needed my husband in order to bring the rest of my family here. In spite, my husband lied and told me to wait and I waited, until immigration laws became difficult and I could not afford to do it alone with my salary.
There were some good people in my life though, and a friend who learned I couldn’t read encouraged me to quit my evening job and helped me find a literacy program at the High school of Montreal. I also had my children to help write letters for me when they were older. Unfortunately though many stressful factors including an operation and a very difficult relationship made it hard to focus on the little time I had with my tutor.
I was determined though, and I made several more attempts but was facing very difficult times financially, I focused only on paying bills and providing food for my kids which was difficult at times.
It was difficult but we survived those times and my kids soon left home to live on their own. They had all done well in school my son was an Architect my daughter was a Graphic Designer and my children back home had not only their careers but had started families of their own.
My youngest daughter told me about a literacy program at Howard s. billings and encouraged me to enroll. The program was very good and helped me a lot but was cancelled after 4 years due to lack of students. When it was cancelled my teacher told me of another program that was also in the same school called the Laubach Literacy council and I soon became enrolled in that program. I learned in this program that I had a learning disability and found that I was better able to work around it. I never believed I would be able to read but soon found that I was no longer afraid to read, but was interested in what I was reading. Although reading is still some times difficult for me I am more comfortable and find that I enjoy reading short stories about others who have struggled with reading and writing. I hope to one day write my own success story to share with everyone.
My teachers have encouraged me and created a good environment for me to grow. They encouraged me to tell my story. They have taught and helped us in many interesting and fun ways; we have outings, visit museums, see plays, have cooking classes, see musicals among other fun and useful things. We have a computer class and that is an example of the everyday useful things they teach. The program has helped in so many ways and although I suffer from chronic muscle and joint pains I am determined to continue until I can graduate high school and take a course, maybe in interior decorating.
Learning to read has been a breath of fresh air. And now not only do I believe, I really enjoy reading and do so more and more. I have always derived comfort from the Bible and being able to read it better and not memorize gives me direction and hope. My self esteem has grown and I feel wiser, and manage things differently. I am more independent and confident in my decisions. I am very proud of my achievements and I am very happy to participate in the Canada Post literacy awards.