From cotton fields to classrooms

Fifteen years ago, Ghulam Zuhra entered into matrimony without the opportunity for an early education. Like the other women in Jamal Dahri Goth, a village nestled a mere two kilometres from the National Highway, her life unfolded in the arduous realm of agriculture as a cotton picker—a daily wage labourer.

The revelation of a literacy centre opening in her village reached Zuhra one fine day, offering the prospect of learning to read, write, and grasp basic mathematics.

Initially, the idea didn't immediately capture her attention. "Can someone like me be enrolled in a school or centre?" she pondered sceptically. However, as she puts it, it turned out to be a dream come true.

Undeterred by the challenges posed by being a mother of four children and a financially constrained cotton picker, Zuhra became part of the inaugural cohort of around 30 women enrolled in the literacy centre, an initiative facilitated by the Sindh Community Foundation. For three hours each day, they gathered under the guidance of Miss Rihana, the village's sole woman holding an Intermediate certificate.

To Zuhra and her peers, the youthful Rihana became a beacon of hope, affectionately referred to as "Baji," signifying sisterhood. With newfound confidence, Zuhra showcased her burgeoning writing and counting skills, meticulously inscribing numbers in her mother tongue—hik, ba…teh [one, two, three...]. Her smile radiated a sense of accomplishment as she proudly declared, "I can count and know how to keep my accounts straight. No one can cheat me—even in the market," raising her eyebrows with a chuckle.

In the span of a three-month course, Ghulam Zuhra and her comrades experienced a transformative journey, gaining not just literacy but a renewed sense of life.

Cotton pickers attend class at Suhaee Literacy Centre in Jamal Dahri Goth, Matiari. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Suhni, a fellow learner alongside Zuhra, chimed in, expressing gratitude to their husbands for the encouragement that paved the way for their newfound empowerment at the literacy centre.

"Literacy plays a very important role and it helps in proper calculation of their wages and also gives confidence to these women cotton workers," commented Javed Hussain, the environmentalist.

He said that the education also gave these women confidence to negotiate to get their due rights and decent working conditions during the picking season.

He shared that more than a million women cotton workers are engaged in cotton picking in the province, adding almost 90 per cent of women cotton workers are not literate.

"Their (cotton pickers) wages and working conditions are deplorable. We have organised their groups and also provided education on labour rights in addition the literacy program."

"Our literacy programme is six-month long and provides informal education in Sindhi, mathematics and English. We have strong coordination with directorate of non-formal education for assessment and certification," he explained.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2024.