Developments in Literacy

DIL Ranks in top 6% of charites, according to Charity Navigator

d1lwp@s1t3 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:08:53 +0000

Independent non profit evaluator Charity Navigator has renewed DIL’s 4-star rating for another year effective April 2013. President and CEO Ken Berger points out that “only 6% of the charities Charity Navigator rates have received 4 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Developments in Literacy outperforms most other charities in America.” Charity Navigator review some 5,400 US-based charities annually and the data-driven evaluation system is well-respected by Forbes, Business Week and Kiplinger’s Financial Magazine.

The coveted rating indicates that the DIL “adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way,” adds Berger.

Charity Navigator Letter

Afshana’s Story

d1lwp@s1t3 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:05:33 +0000

My name is Afshana. I was born to a large family in a small village named Sobho Dero.The entire community belongs to the same ethnic group. There is no tradition of educating children in our community but by the grace of Allah Almighty, my family members are well-educated.

I started my education at DIL Sojhro Model School, where I studied from KG to Grade VIII. My family members and my teachers supported me during my journey. I topped every grade and was also able to help out my classmates and students of other classes in their studies.

After completing middle school from SMS Sobho Dero, I gained admission in Govt. Girls High School Sobho Dero. I also made a decision to serve the children of my village and light their lives with light of education. I started to give tuitions to other girls. When the community elders came to know, they got angry and started to complain to my father. By the grace of God, my father dealt with them in a humble way and tried to convince them about the opportunities education opens up for girls. The community respects my father a lot, and agreed to let me continue.

Whenever children struggle with their studies, I happily try to support them and solve their problems by tutoring and mentoring them. Watching me, children who had not completed their education have now rejoined school, and now every child in the village is getting an education. I am optimistic that our future is bright!

DIL Teachers and Students Shine, says Doctarate Dissertation

d1lwp@s1t3 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:46:45 +0000

DIL Teachers in a training session

A doctoratal study by a Florida State University professor reveals that DIL’s partnership with teachers has brought to the fore a whole new breed of community leaders. In a study spanning nearly two years, Dr Ayesha Khurshid says teachers clearly attribute their new-found confidence and knowledge to their employment with DIL.

“DIL trainers take interest in us as people, not just as transmitters of knowledge to students,” says one teacher. “This view is shared by others,” Dr Khurshid adds. Through interviews, she also observed that DIL students stand out in the community. As one respondent shared, “DIL students are confident and well-mannered.” Samina, a female student at one of DIL’s schools, translates the English newspaper for her entire family, who otherwise would not be able to understand it. Her mother proudly recognizes the importance of education in her daughter’s life.

Wife, Mother and Local Philanthropist for DIL

d1lwp@s1t3 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:34:01 +0000

Los Angeles based philanthropist Tehmina Jesrai has always had a strong belief in the power of education. Some 13 years ago, she visited Dhoke Guff, a village set in a lush valley in rural Punjab. “The school there was housed in a mud hut. There were 2 teachers and 60 very young children. They had a chalk board and when I wrote alphabets on the board, they responded excitedly. They were so appreciative of what little they had and that really touched me very deeply.”

The Jessrais decided to sponsor the school. In a series of visits to the area spanning over several years, Tehmina came to know the commuity. “I admired the resilience of the children. My husband and I wanted to make life better for them. They had so much to offer…and the teachers and principal excuded confidence. These women were not afraid of anything and focussed on making things better for the villages.”

The Jesrais committed to rebuild the school and make life better for the community. The newly-built school of Dhoke Guff now has 11 big, well lit, clean and orderly classrooms. The focus next is on enrollment, with the field teams enrolling children from neighboring villages.

Tehmina says the teachers are very “focussed and gung-ho”. “The teachers say the DIL teacher training is so good that they don’t want to leave the session,” she adds. The school’s sponsors are now keen to bring solar power to the school and convert room space into a middle school and a science lab. “Education is the best tool we can give these children. I appreciate the opportunity DIL has given me to realize this dream.”

Dhoke Guff Students in 2011

Dhoke Guff students in their new classroom

Mansehra Spelling Bee Introduces First Interschool Competition

d1lwp@s1t3 — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:00:05 +0000

Students in our Mansehra recently competed in a spelling bee. The children, who came from grades 1 to 5, had some time prepare before the big day and their classroom teachers were there to help them along the way.

First, the competition was conducted in the individual classrooms and afterward, between classes to select the finalists for the interschool competition between the three schools in the Mansehra project. The winners in Group 1 were from Jabri School, while students from Mazullah took 2nd and 3rd place. In Group 2, students from Shohal Maidan for 1^st and 2^nd and a Jabri student bagged 3^rd place.

Sports Competition Sparks Annual Sports Day

d1lwp@s1t3 — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:08:24 +0000

Shohal Mazullah School hosted a sports competition in which two schools – Shohal Mazullah and Shohal Maidan – competed. Competitions took place in cricket, Tug of War, skipping, an obstacle race and various other games. The students, teachers, and principals of both schools cheered their teams enthusiastically. Both players and spectators enjoyed themselves tremendously. Prizes were distributed to mark the end of a very successful event.

DIL School Ranjali Building Completion Report

d1lwp@s1t3 — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:26:22 +0000

DIL School Ranjali is located at Mangote Union Council, Rawalpindi. It is a middle school (Nursery-8) with an enrollment of 212 (145 girls and 67 boys) students. There are 12 teachers and a dedicated principal. The school also has a Parent Teacher Association(PTA).

The newly constructed building was completed in the 1st week of January 2013.

It has a double story building with a large play area. The building has the following facilities:

1. 12 classrooms
2. Principal office with attached washroom
3. Staff room with attached washroom
4. Clerk office and store
5. Dedicated Library
6. Dedicated room for computer lab
7. Si x washrooms (3 for boys and 3 for girls)
8. Small Kitchen
9. 2 terraces
10. Play Area with boundary wall

On the occasion of opening of the school a meeting was held with all the parents, community members, principal and teachers. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the parents about the facility in detail and also their role in maintenance and security of the school premises.

The PTA has defined its agenda for the next few months which includes:

• School registration
• Opening bank account for depositing school fees
• Construction of drain outside the school for rain water coming out from the school building
• Fundraising for the school to fulfill needs other than what DIL provides
• Plantation in the play area

There are plans to upgrade the school to a high school in 2013. The program team will be working on implementation once the budget is approved. Ranjali is the only elementary school in the area where poor girls have the opportunity to go to school. The school will be provided with the necessary furniture and sports material by April 2013.

Volunteer Distributes Stationary Packets to School

admin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:18:22 +0000

In December, volunteer Mariam went to Pakistan after buying and organizing stationary packets for a DIL school in Orangi, Karachi. Zeba Shafi, Development and Communications Manager of DIL Pakistan, had profiled the school at 179 children in grades KG through 6. Stationary was purchased from Billboard Stationers in Karachi and used to create 190 packets of stationary which were grade specific for the children. They were packaged very attractively and colorfully. Each packet cost approximately Rs. 600.

Mariam successfully delivered the stationary packs to the DIL office in Karachi on January 2nd, where she met Zeba to hand over the stationary (which were packed in seven cartons). The stationary was distributed among the children once the school reopened after January 7th.

The contents of the packets are shown below. This sounds like a great way for students to help other students. Are you interested in getting your school involved?

4th/ 5th/ 6th grade:

- 3 subject notebook
- note tablet
- four colored markers
- highlighter
- UHC glue stick
- sharpener
- eraser
- ruler
- two paint pens
- one fountain pen
- one eradicator
- twelve pencils
- one clear, plastic 20×12 pouch (to hold stationary)

2nd/ 3rd grade:

- pencil box 3×10 (with sharpener, eraser, ruler, pencil)
- paint box (with 12 water colors and paint brush)
- 12 color pencils
- eraser
- one tin of play doh
- one blank notebook for painting
- clear, plastic 20×12 pouch

Kg/ 1st grade:

- pencil box 3×10
- 12 Faber-Castle color pencils
- 4 grip pencils
- eraser
- colorful sticker sheets
- miscellaneous stencils
- notebook
- clear, plastic 20×12 pouch

Shazia – Her Village’s Pioneer for Working Women

d1lwp@s1t3 — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:16:07 +0000

This anecdote about teacher Shazia illustrates the impact DIL has had on female teachers. The story is excerpted from the 2nd Quarter CARE Report for 2012, an internal document. It is one of many such stories DIL has gathered over its 15 year history.

Shazia has been working at CARE-DIL adopted Government Girls Primary School Bhikki since 2003. She is a hard working teacher. She comes from a remote village. She belongs to a typical rural family with no concept of women earning at all. Shazia started her career as a teacher after graduation. She was the pioneered working woman not only in her own family but in the entire village. She teaches with dedication and her students produce excellent results every time. Presently she is teaching the nursery class by using interesting teaching techniques which made the learning enjoyable for students and learning the concepts easily. She is respected among teachers and students.

Beginnings of NOWA Pirbhat DIL School Janwari Goth

d1lwp@s1t3 — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:22:54 +0000

“I started Mother Education in 2008 at my school with the help of the team of NOWA. At first, my teachers and I went to the NOWA team’s houses for education, but after some days we elected to learn at the house of Farzana Janwari. We were working successfully, but Farzana suddenly died while delivering a child. We were depressed by this and felt that we could not continue that mission; so, we closed it. However, some mothers were enthusiastic about education and they demanded it from me, so I prepared students in class IV and V for teaching them. Now students are teaching and accomplishing more learning from this activity. There are groups of 6 students each working in this program. The students are teaching Sindhi and phonics.” – Farzana Sial, principal

Maria says, “Due to this program I am revising my prior learning and also learning about teaching strategies. Villagers respect to my mother and me. My mother is excited to learn. Now she knows math in routine life.”

Sofia: She is feeling very happy because this is her wish that her mother gets an education. Her family is educated, but unfortunately her mother is uneducated. Her father is a lawyer and her auntie is a lecturer at college. As she is studying, she is now understanding the importance of education and does not give her children so many chores at home. Her mother is also more understanding. Sofia is happy that she can revise her phonics in English when she teaches her mom.

Rida: Rida says, “Now I am famous in my village. Villagers are saying that I am a good girl because I teach my mother. My mom doesn’t use her thumb to sign any more, she writes her name. My name will be in future history that I taught my mom. Now when my mom learns to read, she will be able to help my younger brothers and sisters in school.”

Zeenat: “My confidence has improved from teaching. I am learning from this activity. I read the newspaper to my mom, but Inshallah after this program, my mother can read the newspaper. I also talked to my mom about keeping the house clean, and now the house is cleaner. My mom really enjoys the books I share from the DIL library. Her favorite book is Making a Roti.