“She Was There Too” – Janet Materna

A Pioneer of Peace and Literacy

Janet Materna was the first African staff member. In 1963, she was picked out at a meeting in the Marandellas District, and rather shyly agreed to train as an Adult Literacy teacher. Experience as a teacher, church youth leader and women’s club worker had shown Janet the great need for literacy. Janet is the peace-keeper par excellence. If there is any difference in opinion or strained relationships amongst students or teachers, Janet is called in; h!!r calm good sense and genuine desire to see the good in everyone soon prevail. She would like to see her married son and a baby grand-daughter in Fort Victoria more often – her teaching and supervision in the rural project areas often involves travel to remote areas all over Rhodesia. Janet lives very close by one of the churches where she holds her literacy classes; thanks to her many of the women can read their own Bibles.

Published by The National Federation of Business and Professional Women of Rhodesia to commemorate International Woman’s Year 1975 in association with Sarum Imprint (Pvt) Ltd, P. O. Box 374, Salisbury. (C) Copyright National Federation of Business and Professional Women of Rhodesia on behalf of contributors. Copyright 1976. Book design by Di Deudney. ISBN 0 7974 0167 9 hardback. ISBN 0 7974 0169 5 paperback. Printed by Art Printopac