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Literacy as a Building Block
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope…For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realise his or her full potential.” - Kofi Annan Development Alternative’s flagship adult literacy programme, TARA Akshar+ works on eliminating the core of all development issues in the country – illiteracy. Literacy is imperative to economic development as well as individual and community development. Effective literacy skills open doors to more educational and employment opportunities so that people are able to pull themselves out of poverty. TARA Akshar+ programme is currently working in the districts of Hardoi, Bhadohi, Lalitpur and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh; and in Haridwar district of Uttrakhand with the support of IKEA Foundation and HCL Foundation. Over the last one year, through the TARA Akshar+ intervention, we have witnessed multiple stories of success and empowerment, where the women have grown leaps and bounds, not just in terms of empowering themselves economically, but also, socially, in terms of having a stronger role in decision making within the family.
Subuhi Begum from Gauri Khalsa village in
Kachauna block of Hardoi district is a TARA Akshar+ learner. She
performs ‘mokaish’ work on chikankari garments. She is the nodal person
in her village and adjoining areas who sublets the activity to other
women as well, providing them with livelihood opportunity. After
studying in TARA Akshar+, she took the responsibility of running her
husband’s kirana shop along with her main occupation of doing the
mokaish work. After studying in the programme, she was able to demand a
higher and legitimate price for her work from the contractor. In
addition to that, she now manages the kirana shop efficiently as she
maintains a financial record book. As a result of both these factors,
she saves approximately INR 20,000 per month, when earlier, she would be
able to save only INR 6 - 7,000 per month.
Meherjana, 21 years old, belongs to Chouli village of Bhagwanpur block in Haridwar district. She used to stitch and tailor clothes for women and girls around her village. Although she never went to school, yet her aspirations knew no bounds. While she was studying in the Gyan Chaupali (the post literacy programme of TARA Akshar+), she opted to enrol in a one-month stitching and tailoring training organised by the Rural Self-Employment Training Institute of Punjab National Bank, which was facilitated by the TARA Akshar+ team. After getting certified from the training programme, she used those skills to expand her home stitching business. Thereafter, seeing her skill and progress, she was invited by a CSR initiative of the region, for the position of a trainer in a stitching and tailoring training organised for the women in that block. Currently, apart from being employed as a trainer, she stitches clothes for the women in her village. Meherjana only considers this as the first step. She is also undergoing a computer training to learn newer designs and expand her design portfolio, and aims to open her own boutique with 4 - 5 staff. She also aspires to move to the city to expand her business in the coming future. These instances might seem as drops in the ocean, but they are examples of empowerment at the fundamental level. Imparting literacy is not merely enabling a person to read, write and calculate. Rather, it is the primary means for an individual to works towards a better tomorrow. ■
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