You shouldn’t be ashamed of being illiterate. Diligence is something that really matters.
“My landlord’s daughter is the same age as me. She studied at school, at college, and then at university. Recently she married a wealthy man and refused to find a job. She believes that her parents should pay all of her expenses. My landlord calls me illiterate, but my salary helps my parents to live in a good house and to buy good food. The money that I get for the extra hours I work helps my younger sisters to study. The work that I am doing is my dignity. In this case, I am happy to be illiterate.”