Nobody wants to be a marionette

The annual World Day of Literacy on September 8 should focus on problems due to illiteracy and should encourage people to help.

Illiteracy is on the increase. In addition to the people who never learned to read or write for whatever reason there are also now the people who through the consumption of visual media have forgotten or partially forgotten these basic skills.

The consequences can be seen as similar to the problems of illiteracy in the third world. Through the resultant dependency, people are trapped in a vicious circle of poverty and exploitation from which they sometimes see their only hope of escape through crime or even acts of terrorism.

The purpose of OPAM e.V. is to break through this vicious circle.

Through over thirty years of voluntary work and up to now more than 500 projects, OPAM e.V has been able to pursue and realize the aims of “integrated literacy” which are:  “

• Education instead of poverty 
• Training instead of unemployment
• Knowledge of human rights and dignity instead of exploitation and contempt
• Hygiene instead of sickness
• Employment instead of child labour