Region: Middle East
Competency: Educational Development

Imagine speaking a language that hasn’t even been written. Not only are there no books, magazines, or signs…there’s not even an alphabet! Well, in the Middle East, an ILAD team got together with 22 members of this language-speaking group and worked together to create the very FIRST alphabet for their language. Now these men and women are learning to read in their language and can teach others to do the same. This matters because when people value their own language, they see their inherent worth and begin to believe in the potential of their community. The joy experienced in realizing that their language was important enough to be written down was a beautiful sight to behold.