When you meet the 18 years old Afreen, what first catches your fancy is the remarkable gleam in her eyes. She was one among the first to register for Target* - our pre-service (community) teacher training & development program.
Clad in ‘burqa’, she comes from a traditional Muslim family. She was forced to leave her studies after grade 12th because it is not considered good for girls/women in her community to go out. Today, she teaches Mathematics to grade 3 and 4 at one of our partner schools. Her students adore her.
She says, “I was made to leave school almost 2 years back. My future was already chalked out for me by my brother....until MANTRA started these classes. When I first heard about the program, I knew I wanted to be a part of this. Look, today, I am a teacher.” She pauses and then smilingly adds, “It is such a life-changing opportunity for me. I learn so much; have gained confidence and now, I can even work because my parents have no qualms about my working in the neighborhood. Honestly, now that I have discovered what bliss it is to with children, I really cannot imagine my life otherwise.”
Afreen stands as a role model for many girls in her community. Over past couple of months, she convinced families of three of her friends to join MANTRA’s Target* program.
What started as a program to create a pool of effective teachers for our students in the under-privileged community has today turned into a skill-building and empowering experience for the youth in the community..!
* Target: Target stands for Talent recognition, engagement and training Program. It is a community-based, pre-service teacher training & development program.
Clad in ‘burqa’, she comes from a traditional Muslim family. She was forced to leave her studies after grade 12th because it is not considered good for girls/women in her community to go out. Today, she teaches Mathematics to grade 3 and 4 at one of our partner schools. Her students adore her.
She says, “I was made to leave school almost 2 years back. My future was already chalked out for me by my brother....until MANTRA started these classes. When I first heard about the program, I knew I wanted to be a part of this. Look, today, I am a teacher.” She pauses and then smilingly adds, “It is such a life-changing opportunity for me. I learn so much; have gained confidence and now, I can even work because my parents have no qualms about my working in the neighborhood. Honestly, now that I have discovered what bliss it is to with children, I really cannot imagine my life otherwise.”
Afreen stands as a role model for many girls in her community. Over past couple of months, she convinced families of three of her friends to join MANTRA’s Target* program.
What started as a program to create a pool of effective teachers for our students in the under-privileged community has today turned into a skill-building and empowering experience for the youth in the community..!
* Target: Target stands for Talent recognition, engagement and training Program. It is a community-based, pre-service teacher training & development program.
