Literacy From The Peripheries In Pakistan

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"Our teacher has told us we need to use soap and wash before we come to school. My hair needs to be washed, brushed and cleaned if I am to attend school"

2024-08-07T21:43:33+05:00 Nilofer Afridi Qazi

For the first time, children in Arbab Mallah, Allahabad, and Hindu Ghot villages in Jaffrabad Balochistan are attending a school. At ages 5-17 they are learning the alphabet in English and Urdu – learning how to read. These kids are entering a different realm of comprehension than their elders.

I thought I would share the experiences of a couple of the young children from their perspectives.

***

My name is Muhammad Imran, and I am told that I am 11 years old. I have four siblings and we live in Arbab Mallah. I go to Gaddi school in my village. No one in my village went to school before. A few years ago, my parents took me to a school quite far away. After barely two months I stopped going. My parents couldn’t afford the fees of the school; Also, my parents thought it was too far away for a daily trek. It was crowed and I did not learn anything in that time.

I was a little sad because I want to learn how to read and write. This year Baji brought a Gaddi School where a teacher comes to our village. I was so excited to see the painted and colourful school! I couldn’t wait to attend. All my friends were thrilled. We all go to school now.

At first listening to the teacher in Sindhi was a little challenging. We speak Bhagri at home and in my village. The books are written in Urdu so we will learn two languages.

I have to get up early in the morning every day and clean my face and brush my hair before I get to Gaddi school. These days it is very hot, so it is uncomfortable for all us sitting so close together with only a tent roof protecting us from the heat.

Sometimes I wish I can stay indoors: we have recently got a lovely home with a fan and running water. I am told we will also have a proper school with fans soon. That would be perfect.

I can read now.

The teacher is happy with my progress, and sometimes I help the teacher with distributing books and other classroom chores. I am attentive, she says, which makes me happy.

My parents are happier with me; they say I am more respectful and obedient. Hahaha I don’t know if that is true, but since I have to wake up early in the morning, maybe my wandering about the village has stopped, and therefore my parents are happy with me.

I love school.

1,2,3,4 aik do theen chaar aren’t just numbers. Now I know that they are combined and make other numbers. I like numbers. I feel a light in my mind when I think of numbers.

***

My name is Rani. I live in Arbab Mallah off the road in Jaffrabad city in Balochistan. I know this because I learned in school I live in the largest province of my country. Although I am 12 years old, I went to school for the first time only recently. I did not know I was ‘12’ – this number was also new to me, until recently.

I love that I carry a backpack, which indicates that I go to school. It makes me happy. No one went to school in my village but now we have a school and everyone in Allahabad village can go to our school. Together we go to one school. They are all of us sitting together, Mallas, Muslims all together. We didn’t play with them before, but now we friends.

Our teacher has told us we need to use soap and wash before we come to school. My hair needs to be washed, brushed and cleaned if I am to attend school. Sometimes I am lazy and my mother forgets to remind me, and sometimes I look forward to washing. We even have a song that we learned to remember. I like the song.

We could never have washed if we did not have water at home. We now have water and it is a lovely feeling, not having to jump into the canal to occasionally feel cool. The feeling of chip chip can be removed daily, if I feel like it.

My mother is very happy with the room, which has a pipe with water and a door. I am happy that she is happy.

My school during the hot weather opens in the evenings. Although I feel heavy and remaining clean is more difficult these days, I look forward to school. I get bored doing nothing all the time.

There are 40 kids of all ages in my class. Basically, all my neighbours’ children that are my ‘age,’ younger and older. I had never really thought of us in terms of ‘age.’

Of course, I know someone is bigger or smaller but its relevance related to age – of that I had no idea. 1,2,3,4 aik do theen chaar aren’t just numbers. Now I know that they are combined and make other numbers. I like numbers. I feel a light in my mind when I think of numbers.

I can also say the alphabets in English and Urdu now. We speak Bhagri at home.

It was easy to remember numbers because they have no language. Each alphabet letter reminds me of a thing which makes me remember more easily.

Baji who comes occasionally speaks in the English alphabet language, while teacher speaks to us in Sindhi but the alphabet in my book is in a language called ‘Urdu’. It seems we speak and read many languages. I like that.

I heard that our school is going to move to a house. That will be nice. One by one, our homes are being built strong and the dangerous scary water will not wash us away. We used to move when it was hot travelling to cooler parts. Now with a strong house we have not moved in the hot weather.

Baji has said we have to keep our village clean, which means no throwing wrappers on the ground. Teacher also has told us we cannot do our business on the ground – we have to use that water room next to our homes. We have to keep it clean and non-smelly.

Sometimes I forget, but then we promised, so I will try.

I hope I can read soon: I like the pictures and words in the books that the teacher shows us. One day, maybe I can write one of these books? I feel happier and safer.

***

My name is Rehman. I am not a child but I am also not an adult. I know this because I still need a B card which my parents recently have applied for me. They also told me; I have to go to ‘school.’

A car comes in the evening to teach all the children of my village Allahabad and our neighbouring village. They call it Gaddi school.

I was curious, but I am a little bored with the need to memorise these alphabets. Also, all those children are so much younger than me, sitting with me so excited and wanting to mimic the teacher. It all sometimes irritates me.

There are only three to five of my friends of my age in this school. My parents are insistent that I go. I have difficulty remembering what the teacher is teaching. Baji is also very keen that all the children of the village attend Gaddi school.

Before school, I would roam around the village with some of my friends, perhaps grab a biri from someone or fool around watch the cars go by until my mother would call me for our meal.

I had no plans in life.

I will do what my father does: work odd jobs, and eventually work a field with my father seasonally. I do not know why my parents want me to learn to read or write. What will it do for me? I am not quite convinced it will help me.

Let’s see, so far, the village committee, some kind of panchayat, is insisting all the young of the village have to go to school. We have to learn with the mallas in the same school; maybe until we build our own school?

Once or twice the teacher called me out and I was embarrassed, I felt angry but I did not say anything, maybe I will next time.

School is not easy, but it has changed me a little.

***

My name is Puja and am 14 years old. I live in Hindu Mahraj village. I have three sisters and three brothers. I began to go to school three months ago. I had never attended a school before. My parents thought it unsafe for me to walk a long way and go to a school with children who are not like me.

The school and teacher which come to our village are lovely. We are learning English, a language which Baji speaks. We are also learning the national language of Pakistan, Urdu. I speak Bagri. The teacher speaks to us in Sindhi.

I love the games the teacher makes us do. We also learn by singing. I learned the English and Urdu alphabets very quickly – because I sang it.

My mother believes that I have become more disciplined and well-mannered since I began school. I don’t know – maybe?

All I know is that I don’t have look after my younger sister and brother and do household chores so much. When I grow up, I want to do something else, not stich clothes like my mother. But I haven’t decided yet. Baji told us we can become anything we want if we study hard. I am going to study hard. I am happier and feel safer. There is a lot construction going on in my village, which has made many of our neighbours very happy.

I can study at night now or read a book. I like that.

***

We are deeply grateful for the collective support of UNICEF for providing Gaddi school facilities in the three villages in Jaffrabad, as well as Sahil and Strengthening Participatory organisation in providing social mobilisation and village management support for building resilience where there was none – for over 100 families. Together with public support and well-wishers, these families will be able to stand on their own and dream of a better future.

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