Empowering Girls Through Skills, Knowledge, and Leadership

    The project was implemented to achieve the following objectives:

    1. To train 90 girls in slum areas in Tando Muhammad Khan City on basic and advanced computer skills;
    2. To provide career counseling, awareness, and job skills training to 90 girls;
    3. To establish a Girls Youth Resource Center (GYRC) in order to provide a platform for freedom of expressions, views and discussion;
    4. To build the capacity of 30 girls on social activism and understanding of social issues ranging from confidence building, life skills, HIV/AIDS, RH problems, gender, human rights, social activism, and leadership.

    Sindh Community Foundation - Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan

    Taking Action in the Community

    Assess:
    Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) conducted a survey in the slum settings of Tando Muhammad Khan and opened a dialogue with community members about girls’ education and community needs. A report was developed based upon the observations as well as meetings with parents and girls separately.  This assessment helped Sindh Community Foundation discover priority problems and determine ways to fix them.

    Plan:
    After conducting assessments and community dialogues, mobilization meetings were conducted to begin work on addressing the problems and needs of community. In these meetings, the community was involved in developing solutions to the problems identified by the assessments.  An exercise of participatory action planning took place with community members, where the community suggested courses of action and took on responsibilities.

    Act:
    The Sindh Community Foundation performed the following actions to achieve the objectives:

    1. Identified community resources, both financial and physical, and potential donors
    2. Hired staff and conducted orientation
    3. Established the Girls Youth Resource Center; procured equipment and furniture
    4. Carried out community meetings and meetings with educational institutions
    5. Provided computer training to 90 girls at the computer center
    6. Made arrangements for career counseling sessions and use of library facilities to accommodate 90 girls
    7. Selected 30 girls to form the Girls Association, and arranged six one-day long workshops to train them
    8. Arranged two seminars and debate competitions on International Women’s Day: Human Rights and the Importance of IT for Girls
    9. Released quarterly newsletters called Aurat Awaz (Woman’s Voice) with girls’ writings on women’s social issues. The newsletter, written in Sindhi language, is disseminated to 4000 girls and local female-headed CBOs and local NGOs.

    Evaluate:
    SCF has developed a monitoring and evaluation framework, which traces the monthly progress of each project. Monitoring visits have been conducted by the board members, the Programs Manager, and the Director. These reports and data bases suggest that activities have had a positive impact.

    Sustain:
    The sustainability of this unique model is necessary to provide long term support to girls and women for social justice and economic development. In these regards, Sindh Community Foundation has developed projects and approached some philanthropists and donors to support the center. A minimum fee of PKR 100 is being charged to girls who are enrolled in computer education classes to sustain these services by covering the costs of office rent, salary of computer instructors, and utility costs.  There is need of more support to sustain the program, and Sindh Community Foundation is exploring other funding and grant opportunities.

    Impact/Results

    • Ninety girls from poor families were trained on basic and advanced computers skills and applications such as: Microsoft Office, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point, web development, Adobe Shop, internet operating, in-page Sindhi, In-page Urdu, letter writing, composing, and Coral draw.
    • Out of 90 trained girls, 20 girls have received jobs in the private  sector, companies or NGOs as computer operators or computer teachers/ instructors in nearby cities and are earning money to improve their standard of living and ensure that their voices are heard in decision making processes at the family level.
    • Ninety girls received career planning aid, necessary jobs skills and career counseling. Thirty girls are following career plans for higher education and future direction.
    • Ninety girls received awareness and knowledge on current affairs and social issues through reading newspapers and books of their interest at library facilities.
    • The Girls’ Youth Resource Center was established, managed and supervised by the Management Committees which were comprised of the girls themselves. The Center provided a supportive environment, and 90 girls were able to utilize the GYRC as a center of information, discussing their issues and social problems freely and without hesitation or fear of criticism from their parents and male family members.
    • GYRC has been utilized by the girls in celebrating special occasions and for holding meetings of the Management Committee and Girls Association.
    • Thirty active girls trained on confidence building, life skills, HIV/AIDS, RH problems, gender, human rights, social activism and leadership
    • Girls have been involved in volunteer activities at the local level and carried out major activities including raising awareness about health problems by going door to door, Sanitation Week, supporting poor girls by collecting money, writing press releases on problems of girls and women in the area, leading a rally on HIV/AIDS and Girls’ Education, and advocating to local officials to solve the problems
    • Leadership skills and knowledge of 30 active girls was enhanced, and their engagement in social activism was boosted and supported
    • Girls Association was formed to manage and monitor the GYRC and helped in arranging seminars and debate competitions on International Women’s Day focusing on Human Rights and Importance of IT for girls.

    The parents of the girls in Tando Muhammad ‘s slum areas are now very aware of the opportunities available to women and girls. They were mobilized through face to face and door to door meetings and interactive seminars at the Girls Youth Resource Center. They allowed their girls to get computer and social education so that they may become effective social and economic players. The girls who have been trained in social education and leadership convey their acquired knowledge regarding gender, human rights, and career possibilities to their parents. Twenty families allowed their girls to work in the private sector, and education about the girls’ involvement in economic and social development has occurred. Targeted communities’ behaviors towards girls have changed, and women now participate in decision making regarding choosing their life partner, education, and employment. Girls Association has addressed the issue of girls’ education, especially in girls’ primary schools in the slums and rural areas.

    Sindh Community Foundation's Website: http://www.scfngo.org