Tifton, GA (WALB) - The City of Tifton has declared Sept. 24 -28 Adult Education and Literacy Week.
Adult Literacy Specialists said one in five people in Georgia do not have a high school diploma or GED.
The number of those in the Tift County area without a diploma or GED has gone down because of programs like the Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County and classes held at Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC).
“When I was taking the classes, I felt kind of bad about myself because you know sometimes people will look down on someone with a GED compared to a high school diploma," Hampton said.
Hampton’s story is similar to many taking adult education classes at Southern Regional Technical College.
“Seeing people around me that wanted the same thing was nice. I didn’t realize, and sometime I thought I was the only one that wanted a GED,” he said.
But Hampton wasn’t alone, and he is sharing his story with others.
“I wanted to say if y’all ever felt like y’all couldn’t do it or if y’all felt like it was too hard, or y’all wanted to something different or slack off, I was in the same position,” Hampton said.
“One in five adults in the city of Tifton and in the state of Georgia cannot read or write. In Georgia that’s about 1.1 million adults, ” said Bonnie Sayles, the executive director of a program that offers tutoring to students at the college and for those getting their GED’s.
“Basically to help them become self-sufficient, get a better paying job, or move up in their jobs,” said Sayles.
Sayles said it also impacts the community.
"Illiteracy rates tend to be highest among the economically disadvantaged and are associated with unemployment high crime rates, welfare. We have gone down where we used to be in 1999 about 33 percent of the people in Tift County did not have a high school diploma, it’s now 20 percent of the adults,” she added.
Sayles said there is still work to be done.
Testimonies like Hampton’s, she said, should motivate others.
“My GED really helped me for the future,” said Hampton.
Sept. 27 is Literacy Day in Tifton.
There will be a carnival of knowledge held at SRTC to benefit literacy volunteers of Tifton.
The 19th annual Howard Center Carnival of Knowledge plans to bring out the entire community for free food, games and cash prizes.
The event will benefit the Literacy Volunteers of Tifton-Tift County.
It will be held at the Conference center at 52 Tech Road at 6 p.m.
