Martha Clinton, an Alta Level 2 student, became an outspoken ambassador for Alta's anti-stigma campaign message No shame, Go Brave with her story of triumph over shame.
Here is an excerpt of an interview with this exceptional student courtesy Trinity Update.
I came from Manzanilla. I used to attend a private school and it was very difficult for me to learn, for whatever reason. My uncle tried with me, books and so forth, but my head couldn't take it. So right through my life, I had problems reading and spelling.
It gave me low self-esteem because when you go out or have to take transport to go to another class, it took something away from you. For instance, my mother told me to go into town to collect something and I got lost. I can't (sic) read the street signs. That was a very embarrassing situation for me.
Then as I got older and had my children I also had low self-esteem because when you know your children are going to school, and they come home from school and say "Mommy, I got homework, could you help me my school work?" I made excuses.
I'd say, "Right now I'm busy" or "I don't understand the work that the teacher giving you because in my days I never had to know that work" without letting the child know that I cannot read and spell.
Right through my life I went through this embarrassing situation. If I made a friend and they asked, "Martha can you read this for me?" I would make an excuse and tell them I don't have my glasses.
So one day I decided I'm getting older, I have to get a job, I can't keep going like this. I went looking for interviews and they would ask, "Do you have any documents stating you have passes?" I said no. So they would say "I'll give you a form, you will fill it out and we'll see what we can do." That was very embarrassing because I couldn't fill out the form as I didn't understand what was written there. So I always had problems to get a job.
Finally, I decided to take charge of my life. I couldn't keep going on like this and I had to do something about it. I called a girlfriend, Karen and told her, "Karen I am tired, look at the age I am, I have two children and I can't read. I can't get work or anything. What should I do? I am frustrated."
She said, "Marths, you keep complaining but you have so much talent. Why don't you join Alta?"
She said Alta would teach me to read and write. She was attending the class at the time and I never knew. I sat down and I wondered. I started to feel embarrassed and I thought people would see me coming to the class and say that a big woman like me can't read! On top of that, I have a dance school so people already know me already as a dance teacher, so they would say "I didn't know she couldn't read."
I decided I needed to talk to God, so I knelt down and prayed, then I asked myself how badly do I want this. I asked God to guide me and go with me. I attended the class at the St James Library for the first time in 2010. Karen introducing me to Alta helped me a lot, in many ways. I could read. I could write. If I could do it, God could give me the strength to tell somebody.]
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