Haseena

I am Haseena Luk from Chutto Faqeer Luk and I am 17 years old. I have been fond of education since childhood. However, there was no school in our village and I was not allowed to travel to any nearby city or town to seek schooling. Through fellow villagers, I became aware that a school was going to be established in our village. There was not a single literate young woman who could fill the role of teacher so one was appointed from a nearby village.

One day, I was playing in the street when the teacher passed by. She asked me why I was not in school. I told her I was fatherless and poor and my mother was unable to purchase books or afford my education. My mother married my father, a 55 year old man, when she was only 14. He died when he was 62 and my mother ended up shouldering the responsibility of five children. She supported us by laboring in the fields during cotton-picking season.

My teacher came to my home and met with my mother in order to discuss my education with her. My mother again refused and disclosed poverty as the only reason. My teacher assured her that full assistance would be provided and she would have no expense. She agreed and gave me permission to attend school. I proved to be a good student. I often grasped things quicker than other students and I was made class monitor. My teacher often asked me to help teach my classmates.

After junior school, I got admission in Sojhro Model School Sagyoon and continued my education. Often I achieved first position in class. My teachers taught me with love and patience. When I entered Class 7, my mother arranged my marriage to a 50-year-old married man who had children older than me. I cried and refused to go through with the marriage, but nobody listened to me.

When my teachers found out, they tried to stop my mother, but she refused. She said that she too was married to an old man at a young age, so why shouldn't her daughter? My mother argued that she was not willing to let her daughter get educated because literate girls find their own husbands. My teachers tried their best but my mother would say, "Haseena is my daughter and her future is up to me. Nobody has the right to interfere in our domestic affairs."

I was married to the old man when I passed Class 7. After my marriage I remained persistently ill. I did not want to live any more.

Then one day Ms. Shamshad came to our village and I went to see her and cried a lot. She told me that situations could not be improved by crying. She said, "if that was the case, then why wouldn't all women simply cry once and be rid of their problems? Indeed this is not the remedy. We should face our issues with a smile and manage them with courage." She made me realize that I was literate, unlike other girls in the area and that I was smart and could handle the situation.

She advised me to improve my relationship with my husband and get his consent for further education. I listened and finally got him to agree and rejoined Class 8 at the DIL- IRC School in Sagyoon. During the school year I became pregnant and my fellow students and teachers were very cooperative, caring and friendly. When I was unable to sit in a student's chair, teachers offered me their chairs and encouraged me to attend school regularly.

I attempted my last paper in the final stages of pregnancy and delivered a baby boy on the same day. I have now passed Class 10 in first division.

I am now the mother of two children. I am satisfied with my life because I can nurture my children better. I am very thankful to Development in Literacy for improving the lives of poor and vulnerable girls living in remote and deprived areas. I am grateful for your kind support.

Zuriat

My name is Zurriat Qureshi and I teach at Sojhero Pilot School, Sagyoon. I have been through very difficult times during my schooling. Since I started my primary education I have faced opposition from my relatives and community.

When I turned 9 years old, I was very interested in studying further. My father refused to allow me to continue my schooling. He agreed to consent on one condition -- I continue helping him look after the livestock till noon everyday. Permission to continue with my education was met with great opposition from our neighbors and community. So, after completing class five, I had to leave the school.

For the next two years I remained very upset especially since I was exposed to programs on the radio and TV talking about the advantages of education. My interest and desire for education grew over this time, and I took to reading a book called "lengh munjha looh" which was about a girl who struggles to achieve her goal in life.She too faced many difficulties but eventually succeeded. The story motivated me into believing that death would be a better alternative to a dehumanized life.

I told my father that I would commit suicide if he didn't allow me to study further. My father realized how keen I was and granted me permission to continue my schooling. This completely enraged my community. People made fun of us, and I was occasionally teased on my way to school. They tried everything possible to make it difficult for my family and finally ostracized us, cutting off all relations.

Some powerful people of the community even came to my father and threatened him. They told him educating girls was against our culture and makes young girls choose who they want to marry. When all this didn't work they finally suggested poisoning me so that I would die rather than go to school. I had decided that if the community wanted to kill me, they could go ahead. I was not going to give up education, for death is better than an illiterate life.

During all that time I felt that everyone hated me, which hurt me a lot. I used to tell myself that our God and Prophet said that receiving education was an obligation on every Muslim man and woman. I wondered what kind of religion these people followed. Time passed and when I was in class eight, a post of LHW (Lady Health Worker) was announced. My father advised me to apply for the position and I was selected.

I continued to study while I worked. It was during that time that the behavior of my community changed. They realized that by acquiring education, girls could contribute to the income of the family. They realized that without training, one could not even inject a syringe into a patient, as I was able to do.

In 2000, I started to teach in a school that was opened with the support of DIL. The same people who objected to my receiving an education are now sending their girls to be taught by me. Through my hard work I have succeeded in not only getting where I wanted to be but also in changing the attitudes and beliefs of my community.

Now everyone respects me and it makes me happy that I am able to educate their children despite how they felt about me previously. As a schoolteacher I am confident that I can educate these girls and train them to be strong so that they too are able to resist social and cultural pressures and fulfill their dreams.

----- Zurriat

Kulsoom

Kulsoom’s experience as a teacher has been rather atypical because of her extraordinary success in community mobilization. She started as a teacher in the NOWA Pirbhat Madrasa-e-DIL in Mitho Lakh, which was founded largely as a result of her efforts. The lack of a school for the village girls bothered her, and she decided to take it upon herself to get one started.

She met with the usual resistance: the people of Mitho Lakh could see no good reason for their girls to get any sort of education, formal or informal. So Kulsoom personally got in touch with the housewives of the village and arranged a meeting where she urged them to support her in setting up the school.

It was a delicate task convincing them, since many of the girls whom she was proposing to teach were as old as her or even older. The only difference between her and them was that she was educated. She stressed on the fact that to educate a girl is to educate the entire family, and it was therefore the mothers’ duty towards their community to send their daughters to school. At that meeting, Kulsoom says, everyone had their names written down to enroll their children, but later on, when it was time to actually send them to school, several backed out.

Kulsoom was lucky in that she had the backing of the local VEC (Village Education Committee), which gave her the strength and the resources to keep pushing against the tide of popular opinion. Gradually, as she continued to keep the school going with as many students as she had, that tide started shifting.

People passing outside her school would hear her students reciting lessons or singing songs. When her girls would go home, they would share whatever they had learnt with family members and neighbors, which became a source of pride for their parents. Kulsoom also made sure that she tutored her students in basic manners and self-grooming. She organized monthly meetings for parents to make them a part of the educational process of their children.

The village people’s interest was peaked. They began to witness the benefits that these girls were reaping from attending classes, and other girls who were not enrolled began to clamor that they too be allowed to join this wonderful school where learning was so much fun! And so the number of students kept increasing, and soon Kulsoom had thirty-seven children under her tutelage. She was doing so well that after a while she was promoted to the IRC Advanced School.

Kulsoom has to walk far in all sorts of weather to come to her school everyday, but she doesn’t mind. Over time, she has gained great respect in the village community and her girls are doing well. To her this is reward enough for all her efforts. She has become quite an important figure in the village; in fact, the residents now approach her for advice on a variety of matters. "The families even take me along when they are going to a girl’s house to deliver a formal proposal of marriage!" she laughs.

Rozina

The DIL team met Rozina in early August 2001, at the Brigadier Bashir Ahmed Girls Primary School in Wali Dino Sheikh. She was shy, but ready to answer questions with a smile, even when asked about her painful life history.

Rozina's father died when she was barely a few months old. Her mother, left with a young son and an infant daughter, received no support whatsoever from her in-laws. In fact, they seized the land and assets left to her by her husband. Rozina's mother was forced to move into a cramped, single room with her two children. When her husband's family demanded that she give up that room as well, the community finally intervened and convinced them to leave the widow and her children alone.

Rozina has thus grown up a witness to abject poverty. Her mother makes bags and tends to her neighbors' cattle. Her brother has recently started working, which has added to the family income, but they know that without the help of their community that regularly provides them food, clothes and provisions, they would not be able to survive. Her mother took on extra work so she could get her daughter a school uniform.

When Rozina first came to school, her teacher recalls how she completely lacked confidence. Over the years, she has relaxed and gained in self-esteem. She enjoys coming to school and is a very quick learner. Getting an education has allowed her to dream of a future in which she can be a productive member of society, free of the shackles of poverty and able to give back to the community that has helped her in so many ways. She wants to become a doctor and start a clinic in her village.

Rozina is the product of a community that evidently values education. Her teacher insists that it is only because the locals (including the village leader: the wadera) are reasonably well to do and educated that Rozina and her mother have received so much support. After years of hardship, her mother has developed a heart condition and lives in the constant fear that she may die suddenly. Who will take care of Rozina then?

In the event of her death, she has asked her village neighbors for one last favor: that they get her daughter married. Rozina is aware of her precarious situation, but she continues to go to school because she knows it is the only thing that will give her a fighting chance at life.

Rozina is currently attending class 7 at the Model School Khuhra. She is excelling in all subjects and participates actively in extracurricular activities.

Due to the generosity of a DIL supporter, Rozina's school expenses have been completely paid for.

Sanam

Sanam’s brother wouldn’t hear of her going to school. He refused to give her money for fees, insisting that there was absolutely no point in her studying. Her only future was to get married, after all… what would she need English, Math and Science for? Sanam’s mother argued with her husband and ultimately secured Sanam permission to enroll at the DIL school. After school is over, Sanam cleans and sweeps at other people’s homes. Her mother makes a living by stitching clothes.

Despite her difficult childhood, Sanam dreams of eventually becoming a doctor. When we first asked her how she intended to pursue training in medicine since she can’t travel far away from home to study and her own village doesn’t even have a clinic, let alone a medical college. She smiled and replied, "Well, if someone teaches us, we’ll learn, won’t we?"

When the DIL team visited Khairpur in March 2003, Sanam was attending sixth grade at the Advanced School in Khuhra. Her teacher told us that Sanam was her brightest student. However, when we asked Sanam if she still plans to do medicine, tears began to roll down her eyes. Wiping them away she responded, "I want to, but now I am not so sure I can. My parents are so poor that they can’t even pay for my uniform."

Having passed class 8 from Model School Sobhodero, Sanam is now attending class 9 at the Govt. Girls High School Sobhodero. She is performing well academically and participates regularly in extra-curricular activities. Due to the generosity of a DIL supporter, Sanam’s school expenses have been completely paid for.

Salma

Young Girl Works to Support Her Family, Studies to Fulfill her Dreams

Salma, a 10 years old girl, is studying in class four at DIL-NOWA School in Village Janwary Goth, Khairpur. Salma works in three homes — one early in the morning and two in the evening after attending school. During cotton-picking season she works in the field and also does minor labor on the land. The money she raises helps pay for the educational expenses of her younger brother, and the remainder is used for other household expenses.

Four years ago, whenever Salma would pass the school on her way to work, she would look longingly at the girls studying inside. She asked her mother several times if she could get admission but her mother would refuse, reminding her how much her father was against female education.

One day the teacher saw Salma peering at the girls. The teacher went up to her and asked her to enroll. After she explained her predicament, it was decided that Salma would attend school and keep it a secret from the parents, and any expenses would be borne by the teacher.

Salma had successfully passed three classes when her mother finally found out that she was attending school; it was her father’s reaction that surprised her the most. Instead of forbidding her to attend school, he permitted her to carry on with her studies on the condition that she would continue her labor work. He even admitted that he was wrong and was proud of his child’s courage and tenacity.

Zulaikha Mallah

Khairpur Student Dreams of Becoming a Doctor

When the DIL team visited the Sojhro Junior School Mohammad at village Sagyoon earlier this year, one bright-eyed young girl stood out from the crowd. She would raise her hand enthusiastically each time we asked the class to solve a math problem or spell an English word.

Zulaikha Mallah is the most intelligent girl in her class. It was only a year and a half ago that Zulaikha, then 6 years old, would come to this school regularly not to study but to sell carrots to the students during break time. Her poor parents could not afford to pay for even the most basic necessities required to send a child to school, in addition they needed the few pennies Zulaikha raised from selling carrots to supplement the family income.

Recognizing how bright little Zulaikha was, the teacher met with her parents and insisted that she start attending classes immediately. " Of course, she would be permitted to sell carrots at break time," she told the parents.

Zulaikha wants to grow up to be a doctor and serve the poor needy village

Reshman Abro

Reshman, 12, recently graduated from a DIL-NOWA Primary School in Unnar Colony, Khairpur. She is the second youngest of four sisters and three brothers. Her father is a laborer and returns home very late in the evening. Here, she shares her story:

"When we first moved to Unnar Colony, I would longingly watch the neighborhood girls scurry off to school each morning. Whenever I broached the subject of attending school with my parents, my father would absolutely refuse to yield.

One day the teacher visited my mother and coaxed her into sending me to school. My mother laid one condition: my father must never find out. So I attended school regularly except for the days when father was at home. This is how I joined school — it was the happiest moment of my life.

My father, however, did not object to my brothers attending school — he actually encouraged it. One of my brothers is in class 6 and the other in class 2. I would help both of them with their studies when my father was not around. When my older brother passed the fifth grade exam, my father was delighted and asked him how he had managed.

Unwittingly, my brother spilled the beans. My father was horrified to learn the truth and got very upset with my mother. But my mother, with the help of some family members and, of course, my endless pleading, convinced my father to visit the school. That was the day he allowed me to continue my studies.

I have two cousins who are currently studying at my school without their father’s knowledge. It is because of this injustice that I want to become a teacher. I don’t want anyone telling the girls of my village that they are uneducated and illiterate.

The only sad thing is that my school does not go beyond class 5 and I need to enroll in class 6."

Amna Bibi

Amna Bibi is 7 years old. Her father works as a hawker. Her family of six migrated from Rawalpindi, three months ago, to Gidpur village, situated in Tarahia union council. Amna’s parent are very happy that their daughters (Amna’s sister is also enrolled in the same school) had the opportunity to attend a DIL sponsored school, as the Government School is quite a distance from their home.

Amna tells us how much she loves attending school

"We come to school regularly (hum nay kabi chutti naheen ki), there are many good things in my school. I like to sit on these colorful chairs and round shaped tables. I like to change my seat everyday with one of a different color. My classroom is very neat and clean, with proper lights and electric fans.

My teacher uses very colorful and attractive things such as pocket board, charts, flash cards, cut outs and big books etc. My teacher teaches us different things by showing pictures. She plays different games and sings poems with us (hum naghmay gatay hain). When I go back to my house, I share all my daily classroom activities with my mother."

Sehrish Shafqat

Located in an urban slum of Rawalpindi, Nai Abadi town lacks basic amenities such as a sewerage system, safe drinking water, proper roads, gas supply, health care etc. To survive, most of the inhabitants, including women and children, are involved in demanding daily labor. Hence, it took a lot of convincing on part of the teachers and DIL-ABES staff to get parents to send their children to the local DIL-ABES Community School, considered an oasis for school going children in this completely neglected town.

Sehrish Shafqat along with her three brothers works daily on a "Khaddi" (hand loom), after attending the DIL-ABES Community school, to support the family of nine including her parents. They also embroider shirts that require 12 hours of labor per shirt. Each shirt earns them a paltry sum of 100 to 150 rupees ($1.72 to $2.59). Extremely enthusiastic about her studies, Sehrish does not miss a day of school despite her many responsibilities. "Education is the only thing that will give me a chance to improve my future," she says with a smile.

Parveen

Located in an urban slum of Rawalpindi, Nai Abadi town lacks basic amenities such as a sewerage system, safe drinking water, proper roads, gas supply, health care etc. To survive, most of the inhabitants, including women and children, are involved in demanding daily labor. Hence, it took a lot of convincing on part of the teachers and DIL-ABES staff to get parents to send their children to the local DIL-ABES Community School, considered an oasis for school going children in this completely neglected town.

Parveen Bibi lives with her parents and nine siblings in village Nai Abadi. Her father, Faulad Khan, migrated from NWFP with his family in the summer of 2003. He supports his family by transporting supplies on his cart, while Parveen contributes to the household income by tending to the six family goats.

One day, soon after they migrated, a girl living in her neighborhood told her how much she enjoyed her school, including the extra-curricular activates that make learning so much fun. On returning home, Parveen pleaded with her parents to enroll her, who agreed only after she made a firm promise that she would not neglect her family duties. Parveen, a very good student, participates actively at school. She dreams of becoming a doctor someday so that she can change her families future.

Anjam & Rabia Javeed

Sisters Overcome Disabilities with Help of Instructor

"It was a strange experience for me; I was not expecting such results," explained Rizwana Kausar, teacher of DIL-Dhoke Hafeezullah School, Rawalpindi, regarding the success of her deaf and dumb students, Anjam Javeed, 11, and Rabia Javeed, 13.

The girls’ parents desperately wanted their daughters to attend school like normal children, so they sent them to a private school four years ago, only to be returned home by the teacher who found them to be inattentive and difficult to teach.

When a DIL school was established in their village in 2002, both sisters enrolled. Initially, the girls used sign language to communicate with the teachers and students, but as they learned to read and write, the blackboard became their basis of communication. Questions were written on the blackboard and the sisters would scribble their responses in their notebooks.

"No doubt, there were many frustrations along the way, but through perseverance and love, we overcame them," Kauser said. "Both girls are extremely bright and creative, and love drawing flowers. They have made many friends and even come to visit me after school."

Both sisters sat in May of this year for the primary standard examination conducted by the education department and did very well. Anjam obtained the highest marks in her class in Urdu and the second highest in English. Having received certificates from the Education Department, the sisters have enrolled in a government middle school, which is quite a distance from their village — such is their thirst for education.

Mariam

Thirteen-year-old Mariam is so bright that her teachers recently made her skip a grade. She has just turned thirteen, hence there is mounting pressure from relatives to get her married off as she belongs to a very conservative "Pathan" family. Mariam, the eldest of six, is fortunate as her father, a driver, and mother want her to continue her education and become a role model for the younger girls in her family.

Since Mariam enrolled in DIL Nation School in 2001, she has actively participated in co-curricular and social activities. Her teachers claim that if this brilliant young girl is provided with the right kind of support and allowed to continue her education she will definitely realize her dream of becoming a computer programmer and a linguist.

Saima Gul

There’s one thing Samina is certain about—she is not going to be a housemaid like her mother and older sister. Second of six, three brothers and three sisters, she joined DIL Paradise School when it opened in 2001. She attends school regularly even though she lives in the mountains more than one kilometer away from the school.

Since her father, a mason, mother and older sister have long working hours, she takes care of her younger siblings in their absence. She is especially proud of the fact that she persuaded her parents to enroll her younger siblings, who now also attend DIL Paradise School. She works with them every evening so that they can excel at their studies. Having a passion for art she would like to become an artist someday.

Unfortunately, her parents are going through a very rough spell as their home was recently robbed of all its contents. They had very little to start out with but the incidence has left them completely impoverished. She wonders how long she can dissuade her father from pulling her out of school to join her mother and sister in helping earn the much needed income for the family.

Hasina

Hasina studies at the DIL School in Zarif Khan, Dir. As a child, she suffered brain damage after falling off the roof of her house. Despite her poor cognitive skills, Hasina desperately wanted to attend the DIL school. She would lead her mother by the hand almost daily, and upon reaching the school, she would point at children and ask, "why can’t I attend school like them?"

Teachers at Zarif Khan were unsure how to integrate Hasina into the class, but she was so keen to come that they agreed to enroll her. Initially, Hasina had trouble fitting in. She kept forgetting where she was supposed to sit, and her inability to understand simple concepts frustrated her. As a result, Hasina frequently fought with her classmates and was hostile toward teachers. The DIL teachers persisted with her, hoping that patience and love would help her overcome fears and frustrations.

Over time, Hasina became accustomed to the school routine and began to calm down and focus. She now knows where to sit, and although she is still behind her classmates academically, her studies have improved and she has made many friends.

Meena Gul

When Meena Gul's was a baby, her family suffered a tragedy. One day, relatives with whom the family had an ongoing feud walked into the house and killed her father, uncle and grandfather. While the incident was resolved between the family elders, they neglected to compensate Meena Gul's mother, who now faced the frightening prospect of supporting two children on her own.

But Meena Gul's mother vowed that not only would she financially support her children, she would also ensure they attend school. She went to work in people's homes, tending to their cattle and doing hard labor. She sent Meena Gul and her brother to the government school far from the village, where they received little attention from the teacher.

The family was therefore thrilled when the DIL school opened in nearby Zarif Khan with attentive and dedicated teachers. DIL teachers speak very highly of Meena Gul's mother, saying she has never put her children to work. Meena Gul and her brother follow their mother's example, by working hard and excelling at their studies. One day, they hope to use their education to take care of their mother, the same way she has taken care of them.

Mahjabeen

Determined to receive education despite the odds

Mahjabeen, now 18, lives in a village called Neeli in District Pishin. Six years ago she passed sixth grade at a government girls’ High School, which was 7 km from her home. She was withdrawn from school due to cultural norms disapproving of grownup girls attending school so far from home. But Mahjabeen's burning desire to continue her education never ceased.

The establishment of DIL Community Girls Middle School, Munzaki Bostan, four miles Neeli, gave Mahjabeen renewed hope. She found the courage to ask her father for permission to enroll, but he bluntly refused. When the project staff approached her father to try to convince him, he shooed them away.

But Mahjabeen was not going to give up. She had an idea: if the other four girls in her neighborhood joined the school, her father would have to agree. She worked on every one of them, insisting they would regret it if they missed this wonderful opportunity of continuing their education. Fortunately, the girls’ parents agreed. Gleefully, she approached her father, who finally consented.

A motivating factor for Mahjabeen was that the schoolteacher, Ms. Nargis Habib, was her class fellow at the government school she attended as a child. Nargis was allowed to continue her education, which enabled her to become a teacher. Mahjabeen would also like to teach someday. What a wonderful role model she will be for her students.

Ghulam Sakeena

"After completing my studies, I want to help the poor and underprivileged people so that they won’t go through what I have gone through ", says Ghulam Sakeena, who currently attends 5th grade at the DIL sponsored Government Girls Middle School Nizampura, Lahore. Nizampura is a rural area and its residents are mostly laborers.

Ghulam Sakeena’s mother died some years ago. Her father owns a small vegetable shop but due to mental illness is not able to work regularly. Gulam Sakeena and her five siblings live with their maternal grandmother, who has seven children of her own. It is extremely difficult for the family to make ends meet.

Her teacher says that Ghulam Sakeena is an intelligent student who takes keen interest in her studies and other school activities. She aims high and eventually wants to take up teaching as a profession.

During break time she helps her grandmother sells toffees and candies to the school children. She thanks her teacher for encouraging her to work hard and not get disheartened by her circumstances.

Tahira Faryad

Tahira Faryad is one of the brightest students in the seventh at the Government Girls Middle School Nizampura. She belongs to a very poor family of eight. Her father, not being a skilled worker, is mostly unemployed. He considers himself a burden as Tahira’s mother, a health worker, is supporting the entire family on her meager salary.

Tahira’s mother is determined to send her daughter to school at all costs. Tahira helps to defray her personal expenses by working in the evening, making little gift items or flower garlands. She dreams of becoming a doctor someday so that she can help the poor in her community.