education:a ray of hope for poor muslim girls

8/8/2019 Education:a ray of hope for poor Muslim Girls

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Education: a ray of hope for poor Muslim girls

Education is a fundamental human right. But in many areas children have hardly access to this

right, either there is no institution or the families don't have enough money. To provide poorer

people a good education the People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) supports

many schools in Varanasi and in the surrounding. One of these schools is the Madarsa

Usmania at Bazardiha in Varanasi.

In the middle of Varanasi, there is the Bajrdiha area. Hundreds of thousands of Muslim weavers live in

this densely habited part of town, most of them work as a weaver. Overflowing sewers and narrowlanes are common in this area. Also

outbreaks of waterborne diseases and

epidemics which are a frequent phenomenon during rainy season and

from which the children suffer most. In

this part of town you can't find agovernment school. No free access to

elementary education. But there is theMadarsa Usmania, one of the fewreligious Muslim schools in Bajrdiha

area. Until three years ago only religious

subjects were taught there. But in the last

years, the school changed: supported bythe PVCHR, new teachers were engaged to educate further non-religious subjects like English, Maths,

Hindi and Art. Furthermore the numbers of students have significantly increased, in the first instance

the number of the girls. Today near about 525 students visit the Madarsa Usmania.

Besides 18 girls from poor families of this locality areawarded a scholarship, enabled by the PVCHRwith support

of Rotary Club Vllingby, Sweden in coordination with

Ms.Parul Sharma.One of these girls is Gulnaz (13). Like the

most of her classmates she comes from a family of weaversand she wants to become a teacher. I want to help the

children who have no education. I want to see a good

society says Gulnaz. But she is also aware of thedifficulties she could face as to achieve her aim. She fears

It depends on my father as to continue my higher study after

completing primary schooling. At present he allows me to

attend the school at this stage of primary schooling. He doesnt want me to continue higher study as togo to the college and university, because of the security and money.

Only ten percent of the students have chance to go to the university says Masoom Ahmad Rahmani,

principal of the Madrasa Usmansa. He knows circumstances of the surrounding area very well: The

parents want their children to become educated. But when they come home from school, the childrenhave to work with the parents as a weaver or as a handicraft. Some pupils do their homework in the

night. In the Bajrdiha area many children don't visit school or very seldom, because they have to work


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with their parents. For some of these children the school offers special evening studies due to PVCHR

support.

Naimuddin Ansari lives near the Madarsa Usmania who is member of the school management and heworks also as a weaver like his parents and all

generations before. He says the people understand

nowadays how important education really is. Mychildren can count and they can speak English, so

they make the business at the market or can help me

with the financial affairs, he says. The professionof a weaver requires high concentration and physical

exertion. But the income is low. According to

Naimuddin Ansari, a normal weaver earn about 100

Rupee a day. In recent years the situation has beenvery hard, because of modern factories and foreign

competition from China.

Obviously the profession as a weaver or

handicraft worker can't be future for all the

children from Bajrdiha area. But many of themhave no other choice. Education can be a way to

provide new opportunity, says the principal

Masoom Ahmad Rahmani. That is the reason whythe school should be expanded in the next years.

All students should have the opportunity to attend

the school up to the tenth class. New classrooms

should be built, including a room with computer,where the children can learn to handle new

medium of education and should be able to acquire new skill. Where will the money come from? I

don't know yet the principal says; It will work out somehow.

Interview with the girls

Sazya (12)

What's your favourite subject?

English

And what do you want to do after school?

I want to continue my education to become a teacher or a

doctor.

How do you get the scholarship?

My parents don't have any land and money. But the school cooperates with the PVCHR, and they asked


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my parents, why should I not attend the school. My parents said, because they don't have enough

money. So the parents applied the scholarship for me.

Shahnaz (12)

How many brother and sisters do you have?

I have 5 brothers and 6 sisters. Two of my brothers are also

here at this school.

What are you doing when you come home from school?

After school time I help my mother with the handicraft andcooking the food. I like to help my mother.

And what will happen after completing your schooling here?

I want to do something different, like working as a teacher. But my parents want me to do only a

regular study.

Shamima (12)

What are your favourite subjects?

English and Maths

What is your parents job?

My mother does the housework. My father handles with wood. Butmy father always becomes ill, so I have to manage a lot of business

things for him.

What do you want to do after school?

I want to become a teacher. Preferably in Maths, because I learnt it at

work. And I want to help poorer people and provide education to them. I want to change the society.

Gulnaz (13)

What do you like in school?

I like English. I learn it very quickly.

Do you speak English with your family?

No I'm the only one who's able to speak English.

What do you want to do when you completed school?


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I want to become a teacher. I want to help the children who have no education. But my father doesnt

want me to visit a further school or university, because of the security and money.

Mantasha (14)

What is your favourite subject?

English. I only want to learn English

Why?

Because the importance of English is increasing everywhere.

And I feel good when I speak English.

Do you have any plans for the time after school?

My father is a weaver and my mother does handicraft. Maybe I

will help them. But I want also work as a teacher.

All 18 girls at one school sponsored:

Prepared by: Stephan Braig(Germany) in support of Upendra and Shiv Prasad Singh,LLM(Hong

Kong University) All Photos: Stephan Braig Please Visit:

http://jmntrust.blogspot.com/2010/10/report-of-scholarship-girls-at-madarsa.html
http://jmntrust.blogspot.com/2010/10/report-of-scholarship-girls-at-madarsa.htmlhttp://jmntrust.blogspot.com/2010/10/report-of-scholarship-girls-at-madarsa.html

education:a ray of hope for poor muslim girls

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