Matters India reporter
Jorhat,May 6, 2019: An NGO working with the Mising tribe in Upper Assam has come up with an ambitious adult literacy program for rural women. The project is being implemented in 29 villages of 5 districts of Assam covering a total of 397 women.
More than 75 illiterate women of Soraipora, Garbhanga, Ligiribari and Majorbari villages of Sivasagar district came together at the invitation of the staff of Institution for Culture And Rural Development (I-CARD) Mr. Tileswar Yein, to initiate a project for the total rural women’s literacy, on 4th May 2019.
Two meetings held on the same day were attended by I-CARD director, Salesian Fr. K. A. Thomas, Media Manager Mrs. Puspalata Mili, and Office Coordinator Bhaskar Doley.
One of the meetings was held at Soraipora LP School and the other at Majorbari LP School.
Teacher of Soraipora LP School, and Secretary of the Agency for Rural Development Action (ARDA) Mr. Monuprasad Mili presided over the first meeting while the village headman of Majorbari, Rupeswar Panging, presided over the second.
“I-CARD has appointed one teacher for two villages, and he or she would be taking classes for one hour, three times a week, for the next one year,” said Bhaskar Doley explaining the modus operandi of the literacy program.
Blackboards and chalk are supplied by I-CARD.
“At the end of the year, the smart women leaders who complete the program will be taken on a tour to Kokrajhar, to interact with Bodo women, promised Doley.
“The project is intended to give honour, respect and independence to the women, who will be taught how to sign their names and to read a simple letter. Women have been chosen for this project, because when women learn, the family learns. This will further emancipate the women in their banking transactions and financial dealings. Further, they will not be taken for a ride by their men folk,” says Ashoka Fellow and I-CARD founder Fr K.A. Thomas.
Sharing about the role and importance of education for a woman in a society Puspalata Mili said, “Being a woman is not only becoming somebody’s wife, mother or a sister but also women are the backbone of the society.”
The teacher appointed for Soraipora and Garbhanga villages,Ranjita Mili, said, “I am pleased to share my talents selflessly, and would do all in my power to help the women.”
Harakanta Yein has taken charge as teacher in Majorbari-Ligiribari villages.
Thanking I-CARD profusely for this humanitarian activity, the TMPK Students Union leader Robin Mili, mentioned that “no other organization has ever taken up such an urgent and necessary project among Misings until now.”
I-CARD Coordinator, Bhaskar Doley, has roped in ex students of I-CARD’s Jeevan Entrepreneurship Training Institute (JETI), to organize the training in the other villages.
I-CARD has been serving the Mising community for some 20 years now to train youths, especially school dropouts, in community development services.
Since 2003 scores of youths of the Mising community called Takars take pledge to serve their community after having undergone training in various disciplines, namely community service and spirituality, for two years at the centre.