I was stunned to learn recently, from Cheryl Benard’s book, “Veiled Courage,” that only 7 percent of Afghan women can read. Trying to focus on this picture as my 13-year-old daughter lounged on the sofa devouring the latest Sharon Creech novel required almost superhuman acumen.

Each time I recall that number – 7 percent – I am stunned all over again. The encouraging part is that grassroots groups like RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) have persisted in educating at least a small number of Afghan girls through the worst of times, and that international aid groups are now moving in to do their part, as well. UNESCO’s Director-General Kochiro Matsuura traveled to Kabul in January to meet with Hamid Karzai, Sima Samar (Minister for Women’s Affairs) and others to offer support in the rebuilding of Afghan’s educational system and independent media.

UNESCO has long waged a campaign to build literacy in all parts of the world. Integral to this effort has been its long-standing sponsorship of International Literacy Day. On Sept. 8, UNESCO will celebrate, for the 32nd year, literacy efforts around the world. UNESCO’s key message on this day is that “literacy is inseparable from opportunity, and opportunity is inseparable from freedom” and “that literacy is not just about the mechanics of reading and writing but is about personal dignity, the right to participate, and empowerment of the marginalized and the excluded, and the opportunity to learn. …”

This year the United Nations had ratcheted up its commitment to worldwide literacy goals by also proclaiming a “literacy decade” (2003-2012). During this 10-year period, UNESCO will continue to coordinate and emphasize this work, recognizing that “creating literate environments is essential to eradicating poverty, achieving gender equity and ensuring sustainable development.”

So, what does this have to do with my day-to-day life in Maine? I’m not a literacy teacher; I’m a lawyer. And literacy rates in Maine are relatively good, especially in contrast to Afghanistan. I send my kids to school, and take them to the library to check out books, and purchase several periodicals, which they ingest while dripping milk and cereal on the breakfast table. Though I may take these things for granted, in this context, I see more clearly how important these small steps are.

But what about our communities? How is an international literacy campaign relevant to building and supporting Maine communities? We can volunteer in the local schools – working with LEP (limited English proficiency) or otherwise-challenged students or serving on the school board – or a local affiliate of Literacy Volunteers. (The Maine affiliates are listed at www.literacyvolunteers.org/who/states/maine2.html.) All Literacy Volunteers affiliates are operating on a shoestring, so financial contributions, including corporate giving, are also welcomed.

Those of us in “helping professions” also have a responsibility to reach out to anyone in need of our services who may not be reachable through the old, comfortable methods. Even if we have stayed put, the international community has come to us. The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition reports that although the total Maine school population decreased slightly in the last decade, the number of LEP students increased by nearly 51 percent (from 1,822 in 1990 to 2,748 in 2000). For the 2000-2001 school year, the Department of Education lists 78 native languages spoken by children in Maine schools. This tells me that not only do the Maine English-as-second-language teachers and volunteers have a lot on their plates right now but also that the rest of us have an added responsibility to make our services available by approaching them in languages that they currently understand.

From my legal-service vantage point, I see some signs of hope. At Pine Tree Legal Assistance, we have served an increasing number of LEP clients over the past decade, utilizing an AT&T language line. Local volunteers referred to us by the Portland School District’s Multi-Lingual Office have helped us set up a voice-mail system that greets callers in Khmer, Spanish, Somalian, Vietnamese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Arabic, and French.. Again through use of volunteers, we have been able to post outreach information in seven languages, as well as some substantive legal information, mostly in Spanish. (www.ptla.org) Maine’s Legal Services for the Elderly (www.mainelse.org) has posted similar outreach information in eleven languages. The Department of Human Services, which has done an outstanding outreach job with the MaineCare health insurance program for families, distributes easy-to-read information in twelve languages (although the application forms continue to be English only. The Maine Civil Liberties Union did its part a few years ago, by negotiating successfully through the Office of Civil Rights to get Maine Medical Center to substantially increase translation services to patients with limited English proficiency.

But these are small steps. Most Maine service providers, including Pine Tree Legal, have been struggling to get by with inadequate budgets for years. So finding the funds to add more services is a big challenge. But having the intent to be good neighbors, despite the barriers, is an important first step.

My work at Pine Tree Legal in developing outreach information to immigrant clients has been inspired by Mary Pipher’s most recent book “The Middle of Everywhere: The World’s Refugees Come to Out Town.” Although the author is a psychologist in Lincoln, Nebraska, the experiences of the immigrants she has befriended there mirror those of people coming to Portland and Lewiston and Bangor, Maine. “One of our greatest needs as a nation,” she writes “is to understand how other people see us.” By making ourselves available to these new neighbors, and serving them, our lives are enriched many times over. It’s worth the effort.

Kathleen Caldwell is the client education coordinator for Pine Tree Legal Assistance (www.ptla.org) and a frequent contributor to Hope Magazine (www.hopemag.com.).