By Gohar Jamal
Maria Partab lives in village Haji Muhammd Shafi Nazamani, Ladho Koli settlement of District Tando Muhammad Khan. Belonging to the Hindu community, Maria is one of four educated females in her village, which consists of 35 households.
Maria says that she had an opportunity to study up to class 5th class, but could not go beyond for many reasons. “I understand the worth of education, and I knew how it changes our life once opportunity knocks at the door. Today my son and daughter, both, go to school, and I am looking forward to support them equally to complete their education.”
“I don’t want to see my daughter to be discriminated against, like other girls from the village. Due to local customs and traditions, most of the girls remain away from education. The biggest fear for me is to my girls not getting education”, she adds.
“I prepare a list of my household expenses because I can write. Other women in the village can’t write, so they count on their fingers, which is not very efficient. They soon get frustrated. Education is good for all of us, for so many reasons”, Maria continues.
On 6th of May 2016 a new process of change started in Maria’s village. A Community Organisation was formed with the help of National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) as part of the European Union funded SUCCESS Programme. The members of the CO were from the Hindu and Muslim communities, without any prejudice.
“My limited level of education helped me here also. I was selected the Manager of the CO, because I could read and write a little bit. For the first time ever, 28 women from the village started sitting together and discussing issues.”, said Maria, adding that the details of the meeting were also shared with the men of the village, to take them into confidence.
Maria’s daughter in her classroom
Maria says that her village’s various problems have not been resolved for a very long period of time. “Our problems are very old. But we did not know how to resolve them. It is for the very first time that the women of our village have started sitting together and discussing our collective and personal issues.”
“We discuss many issues. Poverty, water scarcity, problem of the unhealthy people and also other issues.”
“Our Tanzeem has provided us a space for coming together and talking about issues. We have also joined the Village Organization (VO), and then the Digmori Local Support Organisation (LSO). We felt powerful due to the unity of the women, and the presence of organisations of our own”, says Maria, with a graceful smile on her face.
NRSP has trained the members and leaders of the organisations on various skills. They have been trained to manage the organisational affairs of the CO, VOs and LSOs, and also about managing health, hygiene, sanitation, vaccination and cleanliness related issues of their villages. Awareness-raising sessions are also being conducted to sensitize them on a range of issues affecting their everyday lives. They are also being taught to develop linkages with the government departments and to advocate for resolution of their issues.
According to the Maria, “Majority of our CO members are uneducated; out of 24 members, only four can read and write. To increase the access of female education I have raised my voice not only at the CO level but also at the LSO level. I urge the locals to send their daughters to school. I believe that many of the issues our society faces nowadays is because of less female literacy. They raise their children and teach them the values that they carry along throughout their lives.”
Her voice has been heard. The CO members see the merit in her appeals. Eager to change their future, the women have decided to visit each household in the village, to convince the men and women to send their children, both girls and boys, to schools. “We want to see every child enrolled in the school”, says Maria Partab.
“I am very excited to tell that that we have 122 children from our village going to school, majority of them girls. From my small settlement, 12 girls and 3 boys are going to school. This could never been possible if the CO had not come into existence, and if the women and men had not agreed to educate their children.
“We still have a lot of work to do. More children have to be sent to schools. But, we are happy to see change taking place around us”, says Maria.
“Today, I am not just a typical village woman. I am the Manager of my own CO. I am a social worker, and I raise my voice confidently about many issues, including education of the girls. I visit houses to convince people to not exclude their daughters from education. I am confident and happy. My village Ladho Kolhi’s future seems to be bright. We are more hopeful now. I am optimistic that one day all member of CO will have educated households”, says Maria Partab.
The contributor looks after Communications and Media for SUCCESS-NRSP.