Gia Mulder from Havelti received the Language Champions Award in The Hague on Wednesday. The award is given to the person who learned to read and write best in a special way later in life.
“Your story inspires us in every possible way,” was the jury’s comment. “You have evolved and gained your own power. In doing so, you have proven the opposite to those who doubted you. Now you tell your personal story to everyone who wants to hear it: from your children to other adults who want to hear it. Learn.”
Mulder says she was being bullied because she had difficulty reading and writing. “That's why I took language lessons again later in life,” she says. “There I learned that I was not ashamed if I did not read and write so quickly. In the end, I wrote a book myself.”
People who have difficulty with their basic skills receive help from a supervisor, teacher, or volunteer. To give them a platform, Gia Mulder's supervisor was also surprised. Hessie Breuer, also from Havelti, received €1,000. She can use this amount at Biblionet to mentor more adults who have difficulty reading and writing.
The Language Champions Award was awarded for the ninth time this year. Gia Mulder received the award from Princess Laurentian.
