Guest Post: A Teacher's Perspective on Child Marriage
06/01/13 14:54 Filed in: Projects | Case Study
The state of education in Pakistan has worsened over time as the country finds itself involved in various developmental challenges. To add to the misery, poverty figures portray a grim picture for the masses causing thousands of families to struggle for survival everyday. Having said that, I see young innocent girls forced to leave school and become young child brides.
I am a teacher--my job is to educate. But when it comes to society’s norms, I am disempowered and helpless. I interact with my students and none of them feel right about being girls in this country. They want to stay in school and get educated, but their parents are pressurized to marry them off because in our society, girls are seen as a “burden” and not as a resource. Young boys are nurtured with a higher preference than young girls because it is perceived that boys are bound to earn a livelihood in the future and take care of their parents, although it is often the girls that are more prone towards taking care of their parents even after they get married and start their own families. Then why is it that we cannot get over this discrimination between our own children and force our daughters to get married at a young age?
For a young girl, an early marriage is bound to create problems. My students are well aware of the negativities that child marriage brings with it. They talk of apprehension for starting a new life with a man, working domestically at his home and then bearing his children. They know that they are merely old enough to take care of themselves, let alone bear a child and then cater for the whole family. They feel deprived and scared because they know that succumbing to the pressure is the only way their parents are going to keep their honors intact. But I feel their distress and I want to be able to do something about it.
Recently, I attended an awareness session organized by FIDA in D. I. Khan, and was impressed by the participation of the local community. I was particularly impressed by the radio messages played on the local radio channel and hoped dearly that parents of the community would absorb the message for the sake of their daughters. What was most exciting for me was when FIDA social organizers visited our school and engaged with my female students through activities that would help them better understand the concept of child marriage and its related issues. The girls were ecstatic and eager to speak up in the debating sessions, quizzes and role-playing sessions. They acted out the roles of young brides beautifully, and it was enlightening to see that they, too, understand the physical and mental challenges associated with early age marriages. Parents through the parent teacher association were also participative and seemed to take the matter with seriousness.
For a young girl, an early marriage is bound to create problems. My students are well aware of the negativities that child marriage brings with it. They talk of apprehension for starting a new life with a man, working domestically at his home and then bearing his children. They know that they are merely old enough to take care of themselves, let alone bear a child and then cater for the whole family. They feel deprived and scared because they know that succumbing to the pressure is the only way their parents are going to keep their honors intact. But I feel their distress and I want to be able to do something about it.
I think it’s time that all of us step in the shoes of our young girls and try to feel what they go through. Why sacrifice their happiness in the name of honor? Why believe that they are a burden on us when they are the ones who care for us more than the boys? The responsibility to bring about a change lies on our shoulders. How willing are you?
FIDA Posters
06/12/12 14:25 Filed in: Media
With support from UNFPA, FIDA has developed original Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials for preventing and ending child marriages.
Three Year Old Wasif
26/05/12 19:33 Filed in: Case Study
International Women's Day
Teacher Training in South Waziristan
26/02/12 15:50 Filed in: Events
In order to facilitate the return of IDPs to South Waziristan, the Pakistan Army requested that FIDA and Change In Education assist them in conducting a teacher training to improve the quality of teachers in those areas that had been affected by military operations. The training was held on 24th February.
Rehana and Ilyas
26/01/12 20:16 Filed in: Case Study
Find out how Rehana and Ilyas got their smiles back in these two case studies: Rehana's Story and Ilyas's Story.
Gender Equity Program
This is part of a four-month project in Tank, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Karak, Kohat and Hangu that is aimed at enhancing gender equity, increasing women's empowerment, combatting gender based violence and strengthening the capacity of local organizations that are advocating for these issues.
Launch of Small Grants Program
14/10/11 02:06 Filed in: Projects
This picture shows one of the program introduction meetings held in Khokhar Mandra.
Child Friendly Spaces
11/10/11 01:56 Filed in: Projects
In partnership with WWOP, FIDA has established twelve Child Friendly Spaces in two union councils of District Tank. This is part of a larger project entitled "Initiatives for Child Protection." Each Child Friendly Space provides a safe and structured environment where children can interact with other children, learn important life skills and participate in educational activities. They also give the children a sense of safety, support and community in the aftermath of conflict and displacement. Approximately 200 children have been registered at each site.
Water Filtration Plant in Yarak
16/06/11 17:50 Filed in: Events
One of FIDA's original and most active Board Members, Brig. (Rtd.) Muhammad Aslam Khan, addressed a crowd of local residents and district representatives at the inauguration of FIDA's water filtration plant in Village Yarak. This plant will provide clean, accessible water to residents throughout the village.
Inauguration of Water Supply Schemes
21/02/11 13:05
Dunya News recently reported on the inauguration of rural water supply schemes by FIDA and IRD.
Click here if you have trouble viewing the video.
Click here if you have trouble viewing the video.
Workshop at Kohat University
08/12/10 13:16 Filed in: Projects
FIDA Concludes "Young Activist Development Program" with RSPN
-Sona Khan, Young Activist
FIDA recently concluded a project entitled "Young Activist Development Programme" with RSPN. The project sent twenty young activists from Dera Ismail Khan and Tank to various RSPN-supported Local Support Organizations (LSOs). The participants were trained in both the theoretical and practical aspects of social mobilization and encouraged to begin similar work in their own areas.
For more information, please see the program report here and photographs here.
Hameeda, Our Youngest Public Health Promoter
26/10/10 18:54 Filed in: Case Study
The following day, FIDA’s field staff visited a nearby village and found Hameeda teaching her brothers how to properly wash their hands with soap. Hameeda’s mother told FIDA’s female Public Health Promoters that Hameeda had come home and told everyone in her extended family what she had learned about the importance of personal hygiene.
Now Hameeda is motivating everyone in her family and at the Child Protection Center to adopt proper hand washing methods. She has become FIDA's youngest, honorary Public Health Promoter.
See her case study here.
Hand Washing Week Kick Off
15/10/10 13:03 Filed in: Events
Installation of Water Supply Schemes
FIDA and IRD installed a new water supply scheme in this village, but drilled to a depth of 340 feet for the pumping machinery. Thus ensuring that the water is clear, clean and suitable for drinking.
Distribution with IRD Continues
01/10/10 08:38 Filed in: Updates
FIDA continues to distribute shelter kits, kitchen kits, hygiene kits, Aquatabs, jerry cans and buckets as shown above.
Tool kits, solar lights, blankets, cloth and other basic items are also being distributed.
For press clippings regarding distribution, please click here.
For more information about FIDA's flood response, please click here.
Flood Response Updates
20/09/10 20:41 Filed in: Updates
- 8,757 families registered
- 3,563,500 litres of drinking water provided
- 5 water tankers engaged
- 60 standing water tanks established
- 145 bathing spaces constructed
- 65 soak pits constructed
- 2 water supply schemes rehabilitated
- 92,800 water purification sachets distributed
- 6,800 Hygiene Kits distributed
- 6,300 Household Kits distributed
- 323 Shelter Kits distributed
- 312 Health and Hygiene sessions completed
- 9 schools provided with WASH facilities
- 1 town clean up underway
Information is also available here.
FIDA Begins Flood Relief Work with Oxfam GB
SSG Awards Shield of Appreciation
28/07/10 16:21 Filed in: Events
Major Ahmad Farooq Mella (2 IC Commandant) presented the shield to Mr. Imran in the presence Mr. Barkat Ali, Mr. Asif Wazir and Pir Mushtaq Ahmad of FIDA. Major Mella voiced his appreciation for the role of Mr. Imran and FIDA for assisting IDPs in Tank. All FIDA members present thanked 39 AK Regiment for considering a FIDA employee for this honorable recognition.
Support to District Response Unit
For press clippings from the handover ceremony, please click here.
FIDA Sponsors Particpants at Young Leaders' Conference
09/07/10 15:18 Filed in: Events
"YLC is a 6-day residential conference where youth from all over Pakistan and abroad, interact and network with each other and leading personalities from the world of business, development, academia and culture. Participants engage in activities and simulations that facilitate learning of essential leadership skills needed to excel in our challenging and fast-changing global environment."
This year's theme was “Suno Kay Mein Hun Jawan,” which the organizers describe as,
"the realization of and journey towards self-actualization. It facilitates youth to step out from confusion and harness their potential that enables them to contribute to the world. Youth empower themselves to become young leaders through greater responsibility, discipline, vision, creativity and commitment. They look into their hearts and minds and discover the essence of who they are. It is about they pursuing dreams with faith, mindfulness and passion!"
For more information on YLC and SOL, please go to http://www.ylc.sol.edu.pk/
Debate Competition
The following students won prizes for their participation:
1st Prize - Noman Shah (Model School)
2nd Prize - Sanullah (City Science School)
3rd Prize - Muhammad Riaz (Gov't High School No. 2)
The debate competition was followed by a town clean up activity with the participation of all the school children.
To see the news report on this activity, click here. To see newspaper clippings, click here.
Continued Distribution
01/06/10 12:08 Filed in: Updates
Distribution of UNHCR tents and NFIs is continuing for verified IDP families who were left out of the previous phase of distribution.
Water and Sanitation Project
In partnership with IRD, FIDA is constructing individual and communal water and sanitation facilities for IDPs and host communities in various Union Councils of DI Khan and Tank. For more about this project, look at the photo page.
Medical Camp
27/02/10 15:55 Filed in: Projects
Hum Sath Hain
27/01/10 18:32 Filed in: Updates
Click here to see the video and hear the song.
Registration Video
Click here to see FIDA's new video on IDP registration.
Distribution of ShelterBox Tents
At the heart of every ShelterBox is a ten-person tent. It is custom made for ShelterBox by Vango, one of the world’s leading tent manufacturers, and is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high winds and heavy rainfall. Internally, each tent has privacy partitions that allow recipients to divide the space as they see fit.
Faiysal AliKhan on BBC
Faiysal AliKhan, Executive Director of FIDA, recently appeared on BBC World to discuss the situation in South Waziristan and the relief efforts undertaken on behalf of the IDPs. Watch his interview here
IDP Registration Begins Again
16/10/09 11:47 Filed in: Updates
Following the announcement of intensified military operations, FIDA and Social Welfare Department have started a second phase of registration for IDPs arriving from South Waziristan.
A project report on previous registration is available here.
Hand Washing Week
FIDA celebrated Hand Washing Week with 4,685 students in public and private schools in Dera Ismail Khan. The students participated in question & answer sessions and learned proper hand washing methods through pictoral charts and interactive games. FIDA’s Public Health Promoters led students through a physical hand washing and nail cutting exercise.
WASH Intervention with Oxfam GB
12/09/09 15:16 Filed in: Projects
FIDA has begun work with Oxfam GB to provide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services to internally displaced people in Dera Ismail Khan. FIDA has already distributed over 1400 hygiene and household item kits to IDP families and has conducted health and hygiene awareness sessions as part of the distribution process. Oxfam and FIDA engineers are working to identify water and sanitation schemes in host communities for rehabilitation, repair and new construction.
Click here for more photos.
Click here for more photos.
UNHCR Distribution
10/09/09 10:54 Filed in: Updates
Click here for more photos.
IDP Registration
18/08/09 10:10 Filed in: Updates
Registration officially ended on 15th August and the information is now being verified by NADRA.
With registration completed, it will now be possible for the affected communities to receive aid and assistance. FIDA will continue to work with various partners in order to provide assistance in the following areas: protection, non-food items, emergency shelter, water and sanitation, health and hygiene and access to primary medical care.
Access to Justice Project
23/06/09 17:05 Filed in: Projects
In addition to a legal aid center at the District Court, FIDA is working to establish small arbitration centers outside of the city where community members can use traditional dispute resolution techniques to settle minor legal issues. The jirga system is a holistic and comprehensive approach to community justice, which relies on oral case precedent.
Our team members are also holding legal awareness forums to educate people, particularly women, about the legal system and their basic rights.
Look at the photo gallery for more pictures of this project.
New Webiste, New Look
16/06/09 14:51 Filed in: Updates
