Sunshine Coast woman spreading literacy overseas
Mon 29 June 2009
Sungae Yoo, Journalism
Teaching literacy skills to Solomon Islands communities has become a real passion for Karen Hopping, who became determined to help however she could following a volunteer trip.
Former Sunshine Coast resident Ms Hopping, 31, said helping people to read and write in the Solomon Islands was what she was made for.
“My main role is literacy work, which involves training teachers and developing literacy materials in their local languages,” Ms Hopping said.
Ms Hopping was a former primary school teacher at Suncoast Christian College with no plan except to continue teaching, but a volunteering experience in 2002 changed her life completely.
“I went for 10 days and fell in love with the people,” Ms Hopping said.
“A lot of them have nothing in life, no material possessions, but they are beautiful, happy people.”
Ms Hopping realised that the Solomon Islands had very low literacy rate, and many people did not have education opportunities even though they wanted to learn.
“So I thought, ‘Who is out there in the villages helping these people? Anyone can do my job back here in Australia’, and that’s how it all began,” Ms Hopping said.
Ms Hopping then took language translation training for one year through charity organisation Wycliffe, starting full time work on July 1, 2008.
"One friend of mine in a village couldn’t read or write,” Ms Hopping said.
“She can now read Solomon Islands Pijin, and she said she feels so happy and is thankful for the opportunity.”
Ms Hopping also started a Pijin literacy class in another village, and in the end about 50 women participated learning together.
“I split them into two classes and asked someone else to help me because there were too many women,” Ms Hopping said.
“They are really hungry to learn.”
However, Ms Hopping struggled with malaria and other sicknesses as well as digestive problems several times.
“The hardest thing is probably the sickness and not having medical facilities like we have here,” Ms Hopping said.
Ms Hopping was not paid by the organisation, so her work was dependent on about 40 personal sponsors who were based on the Sunshine Coast and from her local church.
One of her sponsors, Paulette Massie, said it was difficult to go and live in such different conditions.
“I went to the Solomon Islands and I saw how hard it is, to live in a different country,” Mrs Massie said.
“Sometimes I wish I could give more.”
Ms Hopping was back home at Buderim for treatment on her back, and would return to the Solomon Islands on June 18, 2009.
“Sometimes when I’m so sick over there and everything’s a struggle and a challenge, I wonder why I’m there,” Ms Hopping said.
“The reason I keep going back is so that people can read and write.
“The absolute joy that I’ve seen on women’s faces when they can read for the first time in their life, means a lot to me.”
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