Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (RJP)
With Inputs from Rashid Vitla
Puttur, Sep 21: Even as the government is struggling to provide quality education in rural areas and private institutions are largely concentrated in cities, here are two girls who have achieved something very special by bringing education to the rural population. Both of them belong to the Muslim community which itself has a long way to go when it comes to education, especially of girls.
This is the inspiring story of two young women, Fauzia and Sameera, both in their 20s, who have created a revolution of sorts in rural education.
Fauzia comes from Athur near Uppinangady. She completed her MA from Mangalore University a few years ago. A year after Fauzia enrolled for the MA programme, Sameera from Kadaba, a village close to Athur, also joined the same university. But back then, they did not know each other. Though they studied in different classes, what brought them together is the place they stayed in - the hostel.
The two soon became close friends. But they did not spend their leisurely hours in the mall or other places as most friends do. Instead, they discussed about how they were different from others both in terms of the background they hailed from and their vision, and came up with ideas to do something good for the society. After long hours of discussions, they decided to educate the poor in their village.
In the month of May 2012 they started a tutorial for students of SSLC and arts and commerce students of PUC, and especially for dropouts. It all began in a small rented room in a building belonging to Sundar Gowda in Kadaba. They named the tutorial 'AMS' derived from the initials of their parents. Only 10 students joined the classes in the beginning - three for SSLC and seven for PUC. As it was in a rural area and not financially viable, most people discouraged them. But the landlord, families, students and their parents supported the girls. It was not an easy task convincing everybody, but that did not deter them.
After a year of starting the tutorial, Fauzia and Sameera thought seriously about opening a degree college in Kadaba. Students used to discontinue their studies after PUC as there was no degree college in Kadaba. One had to travel 25 kilometres to go to Uppinangady or Subramanya for graduation. In fact, Sameera is the first person in her family to earn a postgraduate degree - her father studied up till 7th standard and is engaged in coolie work, while her mother is a housewife who only had religious education.
Fauzia, Sameera and Sajida, the sister of Sameera who was also a graduate, started the AIM'S college for arts and commerce in the same building as the tutorial. Mangaluru University granted affiliation to the college in the academic year 2013-14.
Poor students began coming to the new college, and today it has a student strength of 180, which is a commendable growth considering that the journey began with just 10 students. The college is run from the same rented building as before. The students from SSLC to BA and BCom are accommodated in 7 rooms with 16 teachers, lecturers and other staff. Fauzia is the administrator, Sameera, the principal and Sajida is the vice-principal of this college. The first batch is expected to graduate this year.
The young women have big dreams to further the cause of education in Kadaba. They have already tied up with organizations and associations for scholarships and also applied for government land. Nevertheless, finance is the biggest concern for the founders, who themselves do not draw any salary but ensure that the staff get paid on time somehow by borrowing loans. It is difficult to manage with fees as the students are poor.
Despite the tight finances, the women also run vocational courses for homemakers and have launched a special campaign for encouraging school dropouts to take up SSLC and PU exams.
Truly, Fauzia, Sameera and Sajida have achieved what few dream of. Through their extraordinary dedication and determination, they have set an example for all, especially girls. May their tribe increase.