Karachi Rural Pilot Project

Karachi Rural Pilot Project

Status Report

Past Experiences with Mr. Nisar A. Memon

In 1998, 2000 and 2001, Literacy canters for adult females of rural belt of Karachi were established.
Literacy Drive launched in 2001 was one of the largest of District Malir, that comprised more than 15 villages and upto 47 literacy centers were opened.
At the end of the program, a literacy week was held from 1st – 8th September, 2001. On 2nd September 2001, one of the biggest gatherings of that area was held when around 1000 females and 300 males participated in a literacy walk in the center of villages. On 8th Sep.2001, certificates were distributed amongst teachers and best students in Avari Hotel, Karachi. All leading newspapers including Daily Dawn reported the activities of Literacy Week.

Status of Rural Areas of Gadap and Bin Qasim Towns

No. of UCs in Bin Qasim Town= 07

Ibrahim Haidery
Rehri
Cattle Colony
Quaid-e-Abad
Landhi
Gulshan-e-Hadeed
Ghaggar

Approximate Population of Bin Qasim Town

Around Three Lac and Fifty Thousand People

No. of UCs in Gadap Town=8

Murad Memon
Darsano Channo
Gujro
Gadap
Songal
Yousuf Goth
Maymarabad
Mangophir

Estimated Population of Gadap Town

Around 3 Lac people

Preliminary Planning for PLP Centers

Due to motivational efforts of Mr. Nisar A. Memon Sahab for opening of literacy centers in rural belt of Karachi, we made a survey of various villages of Bin Qasim and Gadap Towns. Once survey completed, 15 literacy centers were identified. These were:

Total Number of Centers	15
Villages Selected	Kohi Village-Bin Qasim Town- 1-Center; Memon Goth- Gadap Town- 5-Centers; Jam Goth-Gadap Town- 1-Center; Soomar Kandani- Gadap Town – 2-Centers; Soomar Ismail- Gadap Town- 2-Centers; Mulla Essa Goth–Gadap Town – 4- Centers
Teachers Qualification	Lowest= Matriculation; Highest= BA
Total Number of Students in 15-Centers	341
Student Having Maximum Age	50 Year
Student Having Minimum Age	12 Year

Training Workshop for Teachers on 14th and 15th March, 2009

Literacy drive was launched on 14th March, 2009 through a training/ workshop for teachers. The program was inaugurated by Mr. Nisar A. Memon. Training workshop was arranged at Shoukat Bizinjo House, Syed Haji Pir, Kohi Village, District Malir, Bin Qasim Town, Karachi from 14th to 15th March, 2009 from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm both days inclusive. The workshop was attended by social representatives and 15-class teachers.
Mr. Iqbal-ur-Rehman Sharif Director NCHD, Islamabad, was especially flown by Memon Sahab from Islamabad for imparting training to teachers. Mr. Iqbal-ur-Rehman Sharif, the trainer from NCHD, during the two day workshop imparted the basic methods of how to motivate the community females into bringing them into literacy centers. He advised teachers to use persuasion, motivation and joyful methods of teaching to attract community people in their literacy centers. Also, the basic four books were explained to teachers.

Arrangement for Necessary Items for the Running of Centers

Books were arranged from Civic Center NCHD Office. A team comprising Shoukat Bizinjo, Saleh Muhamad, Imran, Lateef, and Rauf all helped in brining around 2400 books from Civic Center, NCHD office to our site at Shoukat Bizinjo House, Syed Haji Pir, Kohi Village.
All other stationary items including Pencils, Sharpeners, Erasers, One Writing Board alongwith markers were purchased from Urdu Bazar, Karachi by Shoukat and Noor Bukhsh
Teachers were given Pick & Drop from their homes to the training location by a private van
Mr. Iqbal-ur-Rehman was given pick & drop by Noor Bukhsh

Inauguration of PLP Literacy Centers By Mr. Nisar Memon

PLP Pilot Centers were formally started on 23rd March 2009. On that day Mr. Nisar Memon accompanied by Shoukat, his brothers Noor, Saleh and sister Dur Bibi went around a number of centers and distributed books.
Books were distributed by Memon Sahab in Kohi Goth (Herein, Memon Sahab entered the congested locality and after travelling 200-yards on feet through narrow village lanes, reached the center. He spent around 30-minutes with the teacher and her students (at that moment around 20 students were present, a majority of them adult/ married women). He enquired from teacher about the motivation level of her students. He himself talked with students and made a number of queries with them and advised them to get maximum benefit out of this program).
Second Stop-Over at Mulla Essa Goth and Jam Goth (After travelling through rural hinterland of Karachi and crossing Malir River near Saleh Muhammad Goth, he with his entourage reached Mulla Essa Goth and Jam Goth. Herein, after passing through narrow lanes, he reached at two centers which were established by the teachers in their homes. Herein, Mr. Memon advised the students that the book being distributed are like ornament to them. So they must take interest and complete the book within one month time. Herein, Memon Sahab spent around half an hour.
Third Stop-over at Memon Goth (Herein, Nisar Sahab addressed the students and community elders at the Community Center. Books were distributed by Memon Sahab amongst students. He advised the students to work hard. He remained with the students and community people for an hour time.

Visits to our PLP Centers

Visit by Noor Bukhsh for Distribution of Second Urdu Book

Noor Bukhsh alongwith supervisor visited Centers of Memon Goth on 24th April 2009. They persuaded/ motivated the teachers and student towards literacy. They distributed 2nd Urdu Book.

Visit by Shoukat Bizinjo for Distribution of Second Urdu Book

Centers visited were Mulla Essa Goth Centers, Jam Goth Center, Soomar Ismail Goth, Soomar Kandani Goth and Kohi Goth Centers on 25th April, 2009. On this date Shoukat Bizino alongwith Saleh Muhammad and Supervisor distributed the second Urdu Book in those centers. He persuaded the teachers to be punctual and use their skills for increasing the attendance percentage of students. He also advised the students in their local language to get as much knowledge as possible from this program..

Visit by Nisar A. Memon Sahab for Distribution of Third Urdu Book

Mr. Nisar Memon Sahab, alongwith Noor Bukhsh and Supervisor M. Aslam visited Centers of Jam Goth, Mulla Essa Goth, Soomar Kandani and Soomar Ismail Goth on 29th May, 2009 and Third Urdu Book. Memon Sahab emphasized upon the teachers to literate as more as possible and use their skills in this regard.

Visit by Ms. Khajida Rizvi

Centers visited were: Kohi Goth, Soomar Ismail and Memon Goth on 13th June, 2009 (The day when Karachi was experiencing a strike and whole city was paralyzed).

Visits by Supervisor Muhammad Aslam

He made more than 50-Visits to all Centers in a three months time. On average he visited a center twice weekly being in far flung areas. He himself managed to Distribute Book Four of Math.

Status of 15-PLP Literacy Center as Concluded through Visit Reports of Our Center

The PLP Project for the area started with 15-Centers. One center was closed at the very beginning out of 5-Centers of Memon Goth due to Teacher’s engagement at some other place. Another center in Memon Goth got closed due to teacher’s personal problems after 2-months. The third center at Memon Goth got closed after 3-months when the Teacher could not further continue her class due to maternity problem. Thus, after the close of 4-months, 12-Centers were left out of 15. Those 12-Centers completed full course of literacy.

Name of Centre	Name of Teacher	Total Number of Students	Average Presence	Average Absence	Remar20ks
Kohi Goth	Pari Khatoon	25	24	1	This center was one of our best centers in whole PLP Pilot Project. A majority of the students were married ladies and they were enthusiastic about their studies.
Memon Goth	Nazia	21	18	3 to 4	This center was also another good center. Herein, a majority of students were married and
Soomar Ismail Village	Samreen	25	18	5 to 6	This center was the third best in the interest shown by teacher and students.
Mulla Essa Goth	Fouzia Rahim Bux	25	19	5 to 6	This center has more adult ladies as compared to married ladies
Mulla Essa Goth	Mehr Khatoon Nawa Lane	25	16	9	Mostly adult unmarried ladies comprised this class
Memon Goth	Farzana Nazir	20	13-14	6	Mostly married ladies were students of this center. She taught five of students in their houses.
Soomar Kandani	Aamnat Khaskeli	20	15	5	Married and Adult ladies were part of this center
Soomar Ismail	Sanya	20	15	5	Adult unmarried and aged ladies were mostly students
Mulla Essa Goth	Gul Bano Karim Bux	25	17	8	Mostly young girls were the students of this center
Jam Goth	Raheela	23	17	6	Married and Un-married ladies were the students
Mulla Essa Goth, Nasir Town	Aimen	25	16	9	Mostly young girls were the students
Soomar Kandani	Fouzia	22	14	8	Married and Young ladies were the students

Lessons Learnt from this Pilot Project

Since the Maximum number of learners was kept at 20-25, hence after drop-out of on-average 5 learners, around 15 to 19 remained per center. Keeping this in view, it is recommended that in future centers, the number of learners should be kept at 30.
All Necessary Stationary—At this pilot project, Pencils, Erasers and Sharpeners were provided once only. In future, it is recommended that all these stationeries should be kept with the teacher at her home rather than handing over to learners for keeping at homes. Further, at the close of two months period, the learners may be given new stationary.
The tests of learners may be conducted at the end of first monthly book/ module by a person other than the teacher. The test may be oral, some basic writing etc.
A Senior person from Aamnat Foundation may take a visit to the PLP centers at least once in a month. This would further boost the morale of teacher and learners.
No Attendance Registers, Visitor Logging Registers and other necessary documentation records were provided to teachers at the start. It is recommended any future PLP center teacher may be equipped with necessary record keeping documentation.

Report by: Mr. Shoukat Bizenjo on 14^th August, 2009