As a part of our 2016 anti-stigma campaign My Story, which aims to reduce the stigma associated with non readers in T&T, we reached out to a number of our students who were willing to tell their story.
It is our hope that these stories will inspire you to spread the word about our free community classes for adults (16 and over).
Tell someone about Alta today–we can help them change their story.
Today we feature part of an interview with Fitzroy Francois, a Level 3 Alta student.
Q: Why did you never learn to read and write well?
A: My teacher at primary school wasn't pleased with our class performance and kept the entire class down a level and this broke my morale. I said to myself, "What's the sense in working hard toward something and in the end it does not pay (off)." From an early age I locked off learning.
What motivated you to come to Alta?
I worked offshore for a while, I was also a member of the St John's Ambulance Brigade and I also operated heavy equipment for the Ministry of Tourism. I did a lot but somewhere along the line I realised that this is not what I wanted, so I decided to go to the Alta class. I decided to give it a chance to see if it would make a difference, and it did.
How has your life changed since coming to Alta?
It really helped me with reading and understanding. Spelling was my weak point. It still is, but after going to Alta class for some time I went to the Metal Industries Company Ltd and the National Energy Skills Centre, and did different courses and I was successful. Everything depends on you–what you want out of life and where you see yourself reaching or going. There is no limit, you just need to realise where you fall short. There is no shame in moving forward or learning. Give it your all, just put in the work and you'll be successful in the end.
MORE INFO: Alta is still registering students for the 2016-2017 academic year. If you know an adult (16 and over) who needs to learn to read and write, tell them about Alta. There is still space for students at many of our venues. They can call 624-2582 (Port- of-Spain), 664-2582 (Arima) or 653-4656 (South). It's not too late for someone to change their story and we can help. Registration ends on September 30.