MUHANGA- Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA) is set to increase its efforts in promoting adult literacy programs as a way of fighting poverty in rural areas.

Samuel Ndayambaje, ADRA Human Resource Manager, made the remarks Friday at the graduation of 340 literacy teachers, who completed a cycle in teaching adult literacy programs.

The teachers were selected from Nyamasheke and Karongi districts under the ADRA Action for Social Aid project.

"ADRA will increase its efforts in training more teachers in the community so as to reach out to more residents. It’s through fighting illiteracy that we can eliminate poverty and attain the MDG’s in Rwanda”

The program coordinator, Patrick Mphaka, said that the adult literacy teachers will use the acquired skills to teach more people in their respective communities

"The program is intended to impact on the community so that residents can use the basic knowledge of counting, reading and writing, to come up with sustainable social and economic solutions,” Mphaka noted.

The trainees said that illiteracy is a major concern in rural areas and the need to increase numbers of literate residents is a crosscutting issue.

”The training will enable our residents to manage conflicts which arise from lack of knowledge to analyze issues, documents, and social conflicts,” said Sara Mukakabego, one of the trainees.

Mukakabego also noted that with basic literacy skills, residents will be in a position to initiate social and economic projects intended to propel their welfare and participation in government development programs.

Ends