Adult literacy becomes popular

VARANASI: For Sheelawati Devi (36), learning has changed her life forever. An illiterate before 1998, she is now the president of Women Welfare Association at her native village Katesar near Ramnagar and gives vocational training to other women and girls of the village.
She learnt to read and write with the help of an NGO operating in her village and completed high school.Now she is giving sewing training to women of her village, who sell dress material, soft toys, handbags, embroidery work on order from retail stores, students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and also send the handmade products to Canada with the help of an organisation working for literacy and vocational training of women. "My self confidence has increased and now I am respected, heard and given importance whenever a suggestion is required by fellow villagers," says Sheelawati while talking to TOI during a function organised to mark the International Literacy Day (September 8) on Thursday.
Seema (42), a resident of Chandauli district, is happy that she can count money, read newspaper and write her name and address wherever required. "I was reluctant to send my daughters to school earlier. But, now when I have completed primary education with the help of an organisation which works for adult education, I realise my mistake," Seema said. Similar is the story of middle aged women Malti, Gudia, Sonam and Priyanka from Batuapur village near Sundarpur.
According to the provisional data of census 2011, female literacy rate of Varanasi has increased by 15.15%. In 2011, female literacy rate of the city was 68.20% while in 2001 it was 53.05%.
According to Muniza Khan, an educationist and social activist, vocational training and primary education for women go simultaneously and provide new horizons to earn a better living. Story of Poonam (18) proves this point. Financial troubles at her home left her with no option but to drop out from school. But, at a vocational training programme conducted by an international NGO in a neighbouring village, Poonam learnt sewing, embroidery and creative arts which made her self sufficient to finance her education in a public school.
Many NGOs, social activists, students and even foreign volunteers are coming forward to increase the number of female literates and to empower them. According to Ravindra Kumar, second year student of master of social work from Banaras Hindu University who has been volunteering the literacy and vocational training programme in nearby villages of the district, although the initial steps of persuading the families of women are very challenging, a large number of women from remote villages and minority areas are coming forward to learn. "Around 50 Muslim women from Lallapura area of the city are getting primary education at our volunteering site situated there," added Ravindra.
"Situation has clearly improved in Varanasi, Chandauli and Mirzapur, including all the nearby villages," informed Shitanshu Sharma, programme director of World Literacy of Canada, an international NGO working for the literacy of adults in eastern Uttar Pradesh since 1995. "Our work started with 50 women in Aditya Nagar and at present around 7,800 women are getting primary education and vocational training through WLC which operates 400 centres in 300 villages of eastern UP," he said. Six volunteers from Canada have also joined hands to fight for the cause. "These women from villages who once upon a time knew nothing about letters and numbers can now read and write well, it's good to see this change," says Sharon, a graduate from University of Sweden, who is in the town to volunteer with WLC.