Human Development Foundation

Revived Women

By YesPakistan.com Staff

Six months ago, a resolution for Adult Literacy Centre (ALC) came from the KIRAN Development Organization (DO) of Bilal Colony. DO’s president Zubaida and secretary Attiya motivated and gathered females for Adult Literacy Center. They also donated their own place for the center. Shanaz, who is also our Child Friendly School teacher, was selected as Adult Literacy Center teacher. Shanaz’s dedication to her work as well as learners’ interest in ALC has brought positive change in their lives and they are feeling revived.

Noor Jehan

Noor Jehan is 35 years old and has four children. Three of her children go to school and fourth one is very young. One of her daughter goes to HDF’s Child Friendly School. Noor Jehan told us, “I wanted to learn, read and write so I can help my children in their studies, have better understanding of what they were doing”. After five months in Adult Literacy Center Noor Jehan feels changed and she enthusiastically told us, “ I have learned and gained lots of things from this center. I have learned about domestic savings, I can easily read and write with only few mistakes, and most of all, I have gained a lot of confidence in talking with other people, especially, with an educated person. Before coming to this center, I always hesitated to talk to an educated person, always fearing that I might say the wrong thing/something incorrect. I am really very happy and feel confident and a revived person.” Now she even writes application to her children’s teacher asking for holidays and in some other emergencies and she also writes letters to her relatives in Punjab.

Shaheen

Shaheen, another learner, aged 55 years, has 7 children and 4 grandchildren. Shaheen has always been a regular and a punctual learner, even though; she has a lot of responsibilities. She told us, “If I have been educated I could have taught my children. I always had an inferiority complex and felt inadequate, that’s why I was very much motivated and interested to learn something, read and write so that I may not feel totally dependent on my children. Now after 5 months, I can read slowly and can write basic sentences and words. I can now read Doctor’s name, bus Numbers, Coach names, can read whatever is written on the boards on streets, can make my own shopping list and most of all, I have gained a lot of confidence. I am old but that doesn’t mean that I have to be dependent on others or on my children for little things.” She was so motivated by this center that she urged other DO members to give resolution for their males for Adult Literacy Center and she offered her own place for new Adult Literacy Center. Now male Adult Literacy Center has been opened in her home. In this Adult Literacy Center, males are taking great interest in their education as this center also includes boys who work in Zari Khanas.

Fatima

Fatima (25 years) is also a young, learner in this center and always had a difficulty in convincing her father to send her to this center. After four months, his father completely banned her from going to Adult literacy Center. Fatima told us, “I was very disappointed because I have always been interested in learning. I have eight brothers and four sisters. We are very poor, so my parents didn’t have any money to send us to schools. We always felt deprived and inferior to others but when this opportunity came, I was really excited and I immediately enrolled myself after convincing my father. When my father stopped me from going to ALC, I was very disheartened.” The teacher of this center, Shahnaz, came up with an idea. She took all her ALC learners to Fatima’s home to persuade her father to let her come to the ALC. They talked to her father and his behavior changed to some extent but for now he has given her permission to go to the center. She is coming with the new spirit now.

Date/Time Last Modified: 9/30/2002 12:36:17 PM

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