The Impact Of Education On Reema

My name is Reema, and I live in Khipro, Khameeso Bheel Village.

I work as the Area Coordinator for the Women's Empowerment Programme (WEP), and fulfill my service as a mother to my five month old son. During the first fifteen days of each month I make visits to different communities in my village and involve in having conversations with them about the importance of girls' education. On other days when I'm at home with family, I tend to stitching or help my mother in embroidery work.

I feel lucky to be working for the Women's Empowerment Programme because being a part of the rural area, it's not easy to advocate for education. Being brought up in a culture where education was rare, I thrived successfully to achieve the opportunity to receive education. In my school days, it was known as a taboo to let girls out of the house, but my parents despite the opposition of the villagers sent me to school.

Today when the same villagers see me working for others, they do realize that there are benefits and  future in having an education.

The work of the Women's Empowerment Programme had the same purpose that piqued my interest to involve myself to join in working together with Primary Education Project. The Women's Empowerment Programme through trainings develops skills in the women to contribute in their community's growth and future. We have a number Women Empowerment Groups in our village that work together to encourage women in sending their children and especially girls to school.

In addition to this, the WEG trainings have been successful in developing a mindset that encourages the women to accomplish more than they can imagine. I never thought that one day I would be telling my story.

The village where once I had to face contradictions because of going to school is now on its road to a different future, where there are hopes to possess more schools and a dream for education to prevail.