Too many women are denied an education

For too many women and children living in poverty, life is a daily struggle for survival.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), 3 in 4 women can't read or write. They're denied an education. Denied jobs. Denied the one thing every mother wants most of all: the chance to create a better future for her children.

Poverty robs women of their future

Every mother wants to create a good life for their children. But what if you had to choose between feeding your child or sending them to school?

This is the painful reality for too many women around the world. Like Julia*, a 23-year-old single mother who lives with her parents in the Central African Republic.

'When I was in high school, I got pregnant and was forced to stay with the father,' Julia says. 'He wanted me to drop out of school. I want to continue with my education, so I decided to leave because I wanted a better life for myself and my son.

'I have someone else who depends on me, yet I don't have the capacity to take care of him. Is it me or the father of the child who is going to pay his school fees? What about the child's school kits? I worry that I won't be able to make it.'

Education unlocks opportunities

Determined to provide for her son, Julia was overjoyed when she heard about the literacy classes at a local women's association, supported by Tearfund.

'I was very happy that I could learn alongside other girls and women, so I decided to join,' she says. 'Education is good for young people. Without education, it's very hard to achieve as much as women. It also gives you confidence.'

Through her classes, Julia has learnt to knit clothes and is selling them to make a small income. But for Julia and so many women facing poverty, she is still anxious about how to provide for her child. 'My main concern is how I'm going to send him to school and if I'll afford the school fees,' she says.

You could give the gift of education

Education unlocks so many opportunities. But for Julia, and so many women like her, they're denied the chance to learn.

Davilla, a young mother of two from CAR, also signed up for the literacy classes. 'I was taught the alphabet and how to write my full name,' she says. 'I'm learning to read, write and count. Which is really important when you have a small business.'

Davilla bakes and sells cakes to earn an income, but it's not enough. 'Some days, sales are poor. Every day, I worry for my children,' she says. 'What will I feed them, how will they go to school, and what will their future hold?

'Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by life's hardships.'

With your support, more women around the world can learn to read and write through Tearfund's programmes, and create a better future for their children.

This Christmas, will you give a gift that could change lives forever?