Literacy is defined as the ability when reading, writing and working with basic numbers. On the other hand, illiteracy is fundamentally not being able to read or to comprehend written communication; in fact, illiterates cannot understand some opinions from other persons. People who are illiterate feel pressure from society and they start to feel emotions such as anxious and depressant because they cannot read or understand simple things, for example: read a newspaper, the inability to follow written instructions, read signs on the road, and so on. There are two effects of illiteracy: illiteracy creates an obstacle to their development as well as a function on society and toward their self esteem.
Illiteracy has become an impediment for those people who want to improve in their lives, which include a social development or I could say “social function”. According to the Deputy Minister of Education of Lesotho, Mrs. Malijane Maqelepo says that illiteracy is an obstacle that prevents people from participating in their country’s growth. (Lena) But as we know, the growth of a country comes from the people who contribute with it and, of course, these people are not illiterates they had an adequate education when they were kids. Illiterates are concerned about this because it formed a basis for their general knowledge, and the consequence of not having a good education is that they cannot apply for a job that involves either read or write or both of them, normally both. Likewise, an illiterate wants to attribute to his country its development. Countries with a high illiteracy rate are more likely to be disadvantaged. If a populace is not literate, it cannot be involved in high tech jobs. New careers such the sciences, mathematics, and technology are primarily established in countries that have literate populations. Therefore, illiteracy does not encourage positive social change, personal growth, or the preservation and development of language