Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Nafisa's Story, Humana People to People India, Salaheri, Haryana, India, September 3, 2014


Name - Nafisa

Father's Name - Rahish Khan

Mother's Name - Farmina

Age - 12 years

Village - Salaheri

Hello, I am Nafisa from Salaheri village in Mevat. I hail from a family, which has staunch beliefs against education and freedom of girl children. My father, a bus driver by profession, heads our family of 6 people, including my mother, myself, my two younger brothers and a sister. My parents never attained any education and hence do not value the need of it. However, due to convincing of my neighbors, my parents sent me and my siblings to the Government school of Salaheri. I attended the school, but the lackadaisical attitude of teachers killed our motivation to go to school and my parents’ beliefs against education further strengthened.

We had stopped going to school and stayed at home whiling away the time. After a few months, my father returned home with a news about the Girls Bridge Education Centre in Mevat, which provided good education to the children. We were surprised to see such a thing being shared by my father, considering his beliefs. He seemed quite convinced with the school and shared that the staff has been following up with him for some months, which led to this shift in his attitude towards the need for education.

I joined the Bridge Education Centre with my younger sister and found the place full of energy. The teachers paid attention to every single student in the class and treated us in a very polite manner. Prior to joining the Centre, I used to study in the 5th class at the Government schools and could read English alphabets, Hindi Alphabets and tables up to 5. However, my progress has been significant in the last three months, where I have learned names of fruits, colors, days, months, etc.

My parents are also happy with my progress and as encouraged by my teacher, I help my mother with household work after school hours, which is a satiating feeling for them. I will always be thankful to my teachers and parents for this wonderful opportunity. 

This story was provided by my dear colleagues at Humana People to People India.

www.humana-india.org

1 comment:

  1. Humana People to People is a network of non-profit aid organizations in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Latin America, all working in the field of international solidarity, cooperation and development.

    Humana People to People was born with the wish to contribute to the fight against colonialism and apartheid in the late 1970-ies. When the last countries of southern Africa had won their independence and later when apartheid was abolished, Humana People to People continued to contribute to building the new societies and better lives for the people.
    http://www.cicd-volunteerinafrica.org/partners/humana-people-to-people
    http://vimeo.com/humanapeopletopeople
    http://humanapeopletopeople2013.wordpress.com/

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