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 narrow
lanes 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 a
government school. No free access to
elementary education. But there is the
Madarsa Usmania, one of the few
religious Muslim schools in Bajrdiha
area. Until three years ago only religious
subjects were taught there. But in the last
years, the school changed: supported by
the 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 are

awarded a scholarship, enabled by the PVCHR with support
of Rotary Club Vällingby, 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 weavers
and 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 the
difficulties 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 doesn’t want me to continue higher study as to
go 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 children
have 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
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 he
works also as a weaver like his parents and all
generations before. He says the people understand
nowadays how important education really is. “My
children 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 profession
of 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 been
very 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 them
have no other choice. “Education can be a way to
provide new opportunity”, says the principal
Masoom Ahmad Rahmani. That is the reason why
the 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
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 and
cooking 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. But
my 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?

I want to become a teacher. I want to help the children who have no education. But my father doesn’t
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