This study assessed the application of literacy skills towards poverty alleviation by
graduates of the National Literacy Programme in Oshikoto region, Namibia. The study
addressed three major questions that were regarded important in understanding how
the use of literacy skills is contributing to poverty alleviation in the lives of the
participants. The questions looked at the skills the literacy programme graduates in
Oshikoto region acquired; how literacy skills acquired are used and the challenges
preventing graduates from using skills acquired in order to alleviate poverty in their
lives.
The study employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design to answer
its research questions. Judgement sampling was used to select information-rich
participants for the study. The researcher utilized one-on-one interviews and
observations to collect data from 12 literacy programme graduates. Data collected
from participants through interviews and observation was then analysed using the
thematic content analysis method.
The findings of the study indicated that entrepreneurial, numeracy and communication
in English skills were the most acquired skills by literacy programme graduates. The
graduates are aware of the need to use the literacy skills they acquired and remain
willing to use them in order to improve their living standard and alleviate poverty.
Furthermore, the results show that failure to apply literacy skills is caused mostly by
lack of finance. The results also produced new insight regarding how the literacy
programme’s curriculum can further be strengthened with skills that will significantly
equip graduates to enable them to alleviate poverty in their lives.