How One Harpswell Student Is Helping to Eradicate Illiteracy

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 773 million adults and young people lack basic literacy skills globally. An estimated 1.1 billion students have experienced disruption to their education due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 11 million girls may not return to school this year. These challenges are stark, but the good news is that efforts are being made at all levels to ensure that no one is left behind. Closer to home, Harpswell student Tan Nyny ‘23 is doing her part to advance literacy in Cambodia as a volunteer translator with Let's Read Cambodia, a program of The Asia Foundation. As a translator, Nyny works with a team of volunteers to translate digital books from English to Khmer, ensuring Cambodian children have access to books that are relatable in their local language.Nyny became interested in the volunteer opportunity because of her interest in translation and desire to improve her English. Thus far, she has translated The Expeditions of Tiwi and Boni (Khmer), The Archer (Khmer), The Way Home (Khmer), and Mom, I’m Sick (Khmer). According to Nyny, one of the challenges of translating the books into Khmer is translating animal sounds, think “meow, meow” and “woof, woof.”  Nyny has enjoyed reading the books and even shared them with her younger sibling. Below are some of her favorites. They are available to read or download for free on Let's Read. 1. The Archer by Alyson Curro2. The Writer and Philanthropist: Nawab Faizunnesa by HerStory Foundation3. The Photojournalist: Sayeda Khanam by HerStory Foundation4. The Referee: Zaya Chakma by HerStory Foundation

The reason why I love these four stories is that they all show women who tried so hard to do what they wanted no matter where they came from. They didn't give up their dreams when they faced a lot of difficult challenges. The stories also show that women can do anything or any job the same as men.After reading the stories, I gained knowledge about [other] cultures and learned about a type of archery that has a compound bow with many wheels and pulleys. Moreover, I feel so proud and inspired by the characters in the stories. They motivate me to try hard for what I love, not to give up on it, and to care about the people around me. I hope these stories will be translated into Khmer so they can inspire Cambodian students and children, especially girls as they did to me.- Tan Nyny '23