Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
By: Kulsoom Baloch
I was wondered after hearing the story of five sisters, feeling the catastrophe but still they have some dreams like any other girl, who considered education as their fundamental right.
It dates back to the last two weeks in the month December 2017, when I was in Pasni for the collections of some medicinal plants, which are my prime thesis requirement. I had selected Gorani, a small area near the main Pasni city which is confined into a small population. At the time when i was busy in confirmation of plant that I took from there, suddenly I saw five girls in the area, cutting wood for their cooking and heating purposes with elegance and innocent smile, unaware of their future and astonishingly enjoying as being unadorned.
I got encouraged by their smiles; i stepped towards them and asked their names one by one. They were so shy to talk but one of them came forward and told me her name as “BANUK”. She was the youngest sister among the other four.
BANUK had lots of things to say, so, I started friendly conversation with her. She said that she had completed her five standards from local government school the school was only for five standard and they had their middle school building but no teachers.
She said: “I am the first and only one who completed my five standards. My elder sister didn’t go to school yet she can count numbers in English and she is good Urdu speaker as well.”
She said that her sister wanted to go to school to learn but there were no chances, adding that they wanted someone to teach them.
Surprisingly! This is the one sided chapter which has been taking place in all rural areas but on the other hand modern world is busy in empowering women and talking about the equality and the quality education for girls. Some of them have been portraying their self as the women’s rights activist but restricted only in their comfort zone.
The question arises that is this confidentiality only for urban women?
There is no difficulty for the women who already have the power to speak, to work, to counter, to urge for their rights, however empowering should start from those areas where girls and women lack their representation. This sensationalism about women empowerment must be for all girls and women because if we talk about empowerment which merely comes in terms of education.
Like BANUK other rural girls are also waiting for change agent in the education sector because when women succeed, nations are more safe, secure and prosperous.
Kulsoom Baloch, belongs to Pasni, district Gawadar. She is currently doing M.Phil in Plant Science at university of Karachi.
Published in The Balochistan Point on January 20, 2018
