Look beyond that. Why are these 35-year-old parents illiterate? Because their parents were illiterate. This isn't a problem that will be solved in one or two generations. The same thing applies to people who are on welfare. The attitude doesn't change in one generation. It takes four or five generations to change attitudes and to be ready to go off welfare.
The same is true with illiteracy. This affects a number of generations. If a child sees neither of his parents reading at home, if there are no books in the house... It's very hard for you to understand that because you all know how to read. It's impossible for you to understand. It isn't simply a matter of picking up a book and reading it; it's a comprehensive approach.
You need to have a completely holistic approach.
When kids come from families where there is no reading at all, there is a complete difference in self-worth. It becomes holistic, and you can't say, “Okay, learn a, b, c, and d.” It is a holistic approach to teaching people to become literate.
That's from generation to generation. Don't expect it to be fixed in one generation.