By M. Ali Shawani, NRSP
Kesri is a rural woman of Haji Ahmed Ali Bagani village, located in Matiari District of Sindh. She works in agricultural fields as labourer for a landlord. Working in the field throughout the day is a tough work, and her days end with immense tiredness, but minimal rewards. She receives very scant wages from the work, despite of putting in her sweat and blood. The wages are insufficient to properly feed her children. Provision of education to her children is a dream for Kesri. Kesri and her children have few options to improve their own situation. There is no community platform where Kesri can discuss her situation and seek support from other community members.
In January 2017, however, things began to change for Kesri.
In her own words: “In January 2017, when NRSP team introduced the SUCCESS Programme in our village, a ray of hope was seen and for the first time I became aware that I can not only improve my condition but also contribute to improve my community’s condition. I understood the need to have a platform where all community women could get together and discuss their concerns, needs and potentials. Towards this end, I mobilised local women to set up our own Community Organisation. Seeing my enthusiasm, the local women elected me as the president of CO”.
After CO formation, Kesri participated in a three day Community Management and Skill Training (CMST). Later Kesri took part in the Community Awareness Training (CAT) session attended by community and village leaders. The CAT included a session on the importance of education and how COs and VOs can play due role. Given her own interest in her children’s education, Kesri decided to focus on it.
She added, “After the training, I went back to my community and at our CO meetings began to discuss how the women can send their children to school, so that they can least read and write, something that the women have missed out upon”.
During the meeting, Kesri and a few other CO members decided to visit each household and collect information about the school-age children not attending schools. People were motivated to send their children to school and not to the fields. Parents were encouraged to work extra so as to support their children’s education. Kesri felt very encouraged with the first success when three children were enrolled at the local primary school. Now, 18 girls and boys are enrolled. Kesri and her colleagues frequently visit the school and check the attendance.
Kesri is not literate; she cannot read and write. But her inherent leadership qualities are enabling her to lead her CO members undertake self-initiatives for the benefit of their children. Kesri concluded by saying, “CO is our platform where all of us come together; this gives us strength. Our dream is for the children to chase their dreams”.