Hitting
Two Birds With One Stone- The Women of Pratham
By Namrta Kaushal
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| Jyoti |
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| Shagufta |
Read below stories of two women, Jyoti and Shagufta, who work with Pratham Delhi and cannot fathom a life without Pratham. They have given more than just their time to Pratham, and for that we thank them!
Jyoti
Jyoti and her parents, dreamt that one day
she would become a teacher. In her 2nd year of college, she was
finally provided with such an opportunity when she heard about Pratham. After
undergoing Pratham’s assessment, she qualified as a participant in the
teacher’s training programme. Jyoti joined
Pratham in 2009 and worked in a school for a duration of 2 years at a salary of
Rs.2000 per month. Along with receiving monetary support for her role as a
teacher, Jyoti also enjoyed teaching young children and helping them learn. She
was self-empowered, and providing young children with the privilege of an
education that would help them throughout their lives.
Jyoti was promoted
to a position in charge of an Urban Learning Centre (ULC) in Trilokpuri,
mobilizing 150 children.
What started out
simply as a means to earn an income to support her family, has now become a
passion for Jyoti as she is eager to continue with Pratham over the coming
years. She was able to fulfill the needs of her family and enjoy her job-
literally a dream come true for Jyoti. When asked about her plans for the future
with Pratham, Jyoti responded-“Ab yahaan se chodke jaana nahi”.
Shagufta
Shagufta is a 38-year old lady, residing in
Trilokpuri. She went through a rough financial crisis that lasted for a
considerable time. However, after having spent 8 years with Pratham, Shagufta
is a changed woman. Shagufta joined the teacher’s training programme and
initially was not very keen on interacting with the other trainees or
participating in group activities. However, today Shagufta is responsible for
150 children along with a team of 7 teachers in the Pratham Delhi ULC
programme. Pratham managed to channel her career in a different direction,
where she was empowered, she escaped the crisis that she was facing, and she
was impacting the lives of so many young individuals.
Shagufta
enthusiastically teaches at the Centre and says she wants to continue this work
for the rest of her life. Observing her story, we can see how a woman’s life
has turned around with the joy she receives from imparting children with
knowledge and she is able to financially support herself. On the receiving end,
the children are gaining a wonderful teacher who is happy and proud to be
teaching them- a formula that will surely ensure the well-being of the teacher
and the child.
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