HYDERABAD: A remar-kable event was held as 438 women cotton workers sat for their first-ever literacy assessment after completing a six-month course. Led by the Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) across 14 villages in the Matiari district, the programme offered evening classes for two hours daily, six days a week, in mathematics, English, and Sindhi.
Supported by the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network and Feed the Minds, the initiative aimed to empower these women through education.
During the final assessment, Khalid Babar, District Education Officer for Literacy and Non-Formal Education from Hyderabad, and the Taluka Education Officer from Matiari visited the centers over two days to monitor progress and ensure the integrity of the process. They also expressed their positive remarks
Javed Hussain of SCF emphasized the positive impact of such initiatives on the lives of these women. He explained that the confidence they gained through the Suhaee Literacy Centers now enables them to negotiate fair wages, directly improving their economic standing.
SCF’s literacy coordinator, Hira Arain stated SCF’s commitment to training over 2,500 women in the next two and a half years, a step expected to significantly increase female literacy rates in the district.
Zubaida Turk, SCF’s manager for Decent Work, further highlighted how literacy plays a vital role in helping these women secure better working conditions by negotiating with cotton growers. She expressed confidence that literacy would bring about a significant, positive change in their lives.
Sumya, a literacy facilitator from the village of Darya Khan Talpur, reflected on the transformative power of literacy. She noted that the program instilled a sense of empowerment and self-worth in the women, leading to meaningful behavioural changes in their lives.
Hawa, a 45-year-old cotton worker from the village of Ibraheem Khaskheli, was thrilled to have participated in her first exam. She shared that, despite hearing her children talk about exams, this was her first opportunity to experience it firsthand. Proudly, she attempted the mathematics and English assessments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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