Literacy with SEWA Academy:
Objective:
Considering the demands made by the SEWA members, we planned to give them the
education which they can use in their day-to-day life and which can be learnt easily.
The women who are working
in SEWA are self-employed and labourers, they get organised according to the eleven-points
of SEWA. And women who are involved in various types of trades are associated in the
organisation in one or the other way. In the training given by the SEWA Academy, women who
were literate and illiterate were coming from different areas of city and the villages.
Such illiterate women articulate the words that "We would like to study"!! Even
though we are not educated we get to learn and know many things in SEWA But, if we could
read and write as per our own capabilities, What about that? And with this thought kept in
mind, SEWA started literacy classes in 1992.
Before starting the
literacy classes, these points should be kept in mind:
- Contact in the areas.
- Meetings in the areas, woman leader should be involved in it.
- Women – age group of 8 to 50 years can come to study in the classes.
- Name, Age, and Trade of the women should be noted.
- The time duration of the classes should be at least one and half hour daily for one
year.
- 1 class = 15 women.
- The local teacher – recognized from the area, in the age group of 20 to 40 years,
who is
educated and has good handwriting.
- Seating arrangement should be at the house of the teacher or the leader woman.
- Per head (woman) monthly fees Rs. 5.00.
- Those coming for the classes should be divided according to the age groups.
- Evaluation should be done Monthly and Annually.
- The SEWA Academy provides Literature and Material.
- At the completion of one academic year a certificate along with their group photograph
should be given.
Class Method:
- Time of the classes - As per
convenience of the women.
- Secular prayer.
- Attendance register
- Planning of the lesson or lessons – plan book.
- Daily Note
- Individual note about the women studying in the class.
- Monthly report.
- Fees Register.
- Visitors book.
- Life story of the women.
- Evaluation – Attendance in classes and performance in the exams
The most significant barrier to our
members’ assuming leadership and management of SEWA has been their low levels of
literacy. Nearly 70 per cent of our members are illiterate. Recognizing this challenge,
SEWA has from the beginning offered literacy classes. In 2001, a total of 155 classes with
2325 women participants were functioning.
Material for the
Literacy Class:
1. Brochure
2. Card
3. Manual
4. Evaluation Paper
5. Training through Game
6. Certificate
7. Group Photo
Literacy and Non-Formal Education
The most significant
barrier to our members’ assuming leadership and management of SEWA has been their low
levels of literacy. Nearly 70 per cent of our members are illiterate. Recognizing this
challenge, SEWA has from the beginning offered literacy classes. Since 1991, SEWA has also
offered a literacy programme geared towards 15 to 18 year olds girls and 25 to 50 year-old
women. In 1999, a total of 78 classes with 1,170 women participants were functioning.
LITERACY RESULTS OF THE
YEARS 1992 TO 2001
YEAR |
NO. OF CLASSES |
WOMEN MEMBERS |
TEACHERS |
| 1992 |
2 |
30 |
1 |
| 1993 |
14 |
278 |
6 |
| 1994 |
56 |
850 |
28 |
1995 |
101 |
1515 |
51 |
| 1996 |
108 |
1620 |
54 |
| 1997 |
54 |
810 |
27 |
| 1998 |
93 |
1395 |
42 |
| 1999 |
78 |
1170 |
40 |
| 2000 |
111 |
1665 |
- |
| 2001 |
155 |
2325 |
76 |
| 2002 |
155 |
3168 |
103 |
| 2003 |
70 |
1400 |
70 |
| 2004 |
93 |
1395 |
60 |
| 2005 |
68 |
1020 |
52 |
| 2006 |
58 |
1160 |
55 |
| 2007 |
52 |
1040 |
51 |
| TOTAL |
1268
|
20841 |
716
|
Our
literacy work extended into a broader, non-formal education when a 1997 survey of SEWA
member-leaders revealed an overwhelming desire for increased education opportunities.
Members were dissatisfied with current government education programmes as they felt they
were irrelevant to their lives. In response, SEWA launched a non-formal education
programme, "Jeevan Shala" that is designed to be a "life school." The
broad educational programme is closely related to members’ lives and work and to the
social structure in which they live.
The participants of SEWA
training programmes are its members, leaders and organisers. State National and
International, Self Help Groups, Government and Non-Government-Organisations and
institutes are also valued clients of the Academy.
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