Complex sentence: They saw literacy as a means of empowerment and social advancement; however, economic necessities, ongoing warfare, outbreaks of cholera and dysentery, and the overwhelming numbers made education both a dangerous and difficult endeavor.
Split into simpler sentences: They saw literacy as a means of empowerment and social advancement. However, economic necessities, ongoing warfare, outbreaks of cholera and dysentery, and their overwhelming numbers made education both a dangerous and difficult endeavor.