DIL News 2008 - Summer

Teachers Empower Mothers in Janwari Goth

The Janwari Goth School is located in a remote village of Khairpur. It is a poor area where very few of the people are educated. Last year, the school was facing several major issues: student enrollment was low, students were late to class and their cleanliness did not meet school standards. Many of the teachers were worried that if the conditions did not improve, the school would be shut down for failing to meet the standards set by DIL. That’s when the teachers decided to take matters into their own hands. Farzana Sial, the school’s head teacher, along with the other three teachers gathered mothers for a meeting to discuss the problems plaguing the school. They wanted to get the mothers’ buy-in on making the necessary changes to keep the school open. What they discovered, however, led them in a different direction.

When they asked the mothers to sign in for the meeting, they realized that none of the mothers could write. The mothers shared how embarrassing it was to use thumbprints because they weren’t able to sign their own names. Seizing the opportunity, Sial offered to teach the mothers how to sign their names— with the condition that they made sure that their daughters came to school on time. “Nothing comes for free,” she told them, “and, I am delighted to report that punctuality is no longer an issue at our school.” However, Sial did not stop there, “we then offered adult literacy classes twice a week for one hour after school to the mothers on the condition that they send their girls to school neat and clean and properly fed.” The mothers attend class regularly and complete all their work assignments. Not only are they learning rapidly but are now making sure that their daughters get enough time to finish their homework. “I think we have achieved a lot through this endeavor and we will persevere.” Sial’s goal is to educate every member of the village. Sial and the teachers of Janwary Goth are indeed following DIL’s motto of educating children and empowering communities.

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