TARA Akshar+ Bringing Change
in the Lives of Rural Women

TARA Akshar+, an initiative of Development Alternatives Group is an ICT based programme. It provides functional literacy to women in 56 days through Akshar Gyan and TARA Ganit. Further, it brings in the application part of literacy through Gyan Chaupali in 6 months.

TARA Akshar+ has been running in Jakhaura block of district Lalitpur since March 2018. Till date over 7,000 women have been made literate. The condition of women in Jakhaura block was quite poor before the beginning of TARA Akshar+ programme. Illiteracy is high among the poor and tribal women. Most of the women used to practice ‘purdah’ (covering the face/forehead) and did not get out of the threshold of the house. The rate of unemployment is high in this geography. Mostly people depend on daily wages.

For the first time, on March 5, 2018, the TARA Akshar+ team initiated the process of spreading awareness on the impact and benefits of literacy. They witnessed a huge positive response from the community. Following this, women were enrolled and TARA Akshar+ classes began, during which these women were made functionally literate and numerate, after which they continued studying in Gyan Chaupali. After the first teaching cycle, women started witnessing positive changes in their lives. The result was that other women in the community also showed an eagerness to read, write and do arithmetic. On February 12, 2019, a graduation ceremony was organised in Jakhaura block to award TARA Akshar+ certificates to the learners of the third teaching cycle. This event witnessed participation from not just the learners, Gram Pradhans etc., but also the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Chief Medical Officer, Basic Education Officer and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. During the graduation ceremony, the district officials were particularly impressed by the fact that the programme was run in Kabutra and Sahariya bastis. This is because the government officials had found the intervened areas as challenging for implementation of any social development project.

During Gyan Chaupali in Jakhaura block, different guest speaker sessions have been organised on themes of health and sanitation, legal literacy and financial literacy by the district officers. Different types of vocational trainings were provided to the 444 neo literate women by the RSETI Punjab National Bank Lalitpur, NABARD and UPSRLM. Additionally, training on improved agricultural practices was provided to 400 neo-literate women by the Department of Agriculture through ‘The Million Farmers School’ (Kisan Pathshala).

As a result of all these activities, sweeping social, economic changes have come in the lives of women. After studying, women have now started working out of their homes. They have also become aware of employment opportunities. They pay attention and contribute to their children's education and are also more aware about important health issues.

The programme has received immense support from the District administration. District Magistrate of Lalitpur, Shri Manvendra Singh (IAS) presented a certificate to TARA Akshar+ in March 2019, appreciating the ’excellent work done by the programme in making women literate and empowered’ in the region. Further, in November 2019, Sub District Magistrate, Ms Gazal Bhardwaj (IAS), Lalitpur honoured TARA Akshar+ Neo-Literates. ■

Aquil Ahmad
 aahmad@devalt.org