Reconnecting Hearts and Pens
A Case Study Girl's Education of Baluchistan
Crammed in a space demarcated by four cemented pillars and a roof made of hay, more than ninety girls draped in thick cloth sit together to learn in what they call a classroom in the burning heat of Turbat. There is no electricity to operate fans (and otherwise) and no furniture for the students (and teachers) to sit on. Most girls walk in frayed, broken or no shoes at all from the hilly terrain and hot rocks of the district to attend their daily classes. There is exactly one latrine in a deplorable state for everyone to use and an almost broken tap to wash hands and drink water from. Outside of the one-roomed primary school, people go behind hills or into the fields to defecate. Such is the condition of a government school, where girls come with sprightly smiles and enthusiastic spirits to get education
About District Turbat
Turbat
with its vastly rocky terrain and dry land lies in the South-West of
Balochistan, bordering with Iran at its North-Western end. Conventionally
patriarchal and socially restrictive for women and girls, the district has a
population of 447000 people, out of which 48% are females. In terms of
education, 48% of the population that falls in the age bracket of 10 years and
above is literate. While the statistics might be promising, Turbat has a dismal
Adult female literacy rate of 18%,
with 46.63% of the female population comprising of Out of School Girls.
Girl champions were selected out of the group of
girls who were then coached on leadership and motivational skills, interpersonal
communication skills and on overcoming the prevalent social and cultural
taboos. These girl champions raced from door to door in their respective
villages, presenting themselves as examples to the parents and the daughters
alike of what education can do to (and for) girls.
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