KARACHI, Sept 7: Like other educational institutions and organizations, the Sindh Education Foundation has also planned to celebrate the International Literacy Day on Sept 8 at many of its women literacy centres functioning in remote areas of Sindh, including villages of defunct Malir district of Karachi.

According to a SEF official, different activities, including open discussion, skit, poem rendering and tableau, speech, skit and essay-writing would be undertaken involving students of Women’s Literacy and Empowerment Centres (WLECs) of SEF.

WLECs were initially launched under the SEF’s Women’s Literacy and Empowerment Programme in 2001 at 10 sites in order to improve the gender equality in undeserved households and communities with Sindh.

Following a study undertaken with the assistance of Royal Netherlands Embassy, two areas were identified for setting up of clusters of women literacy centres, with the financial support of UNESCO, added the official.

The objective was not only to provide the women in the villages of Malir and Manchar lake areas a platform for adult literacy, but to enable them to decide at their own with regard to any change in their life and surroundings.

After finishing the adult literacy stage, meant for 12 years and above, the women could be in a position to set up their organizations and develop linkages with the donor agencies.

Presently, 800 adult women learners, are registered at 22 centres, including 17 at Manchar and five at Malir. The number of targeted villages is 20.

Centres are provided with the teaching staff, material, blackboards, books of mathematics, Sindhi and general works, and libraries.

Prof Anita Ghulam Ali, the managing director of SEF, said that now the WLECs were being owned by the community and obviously there was no resistance from any side with regard to women’s adult literacy programme.

Empowerment of women meant the development of women in rural areas as well and ensure availability of clean water, health facilities, clothes, communication, human rights, environment and employment opportunities to them, she added. She informed that UNESCO would continue to finance the literacy programme for another one year, after which SEF itself would be maintaining the centres.

She said an amount of Rs 1.3 million, including 0.3 million for SEF for mobility of staff, was being spent yearly on WLEP centres.

Giving the details of international literacy day events by WLEC’s, the SEF official said programmes would be held at four centres in Malir on Sept 8, while an open discussion on “education, its importance and the hindrance faced in acquiring education: would be held on Sept 9 at Haji Pir Goth.

The designed activities comprise information and knowledge raising speeches, tableau and some other recreational activities with displays of embroidery and handicraft work on the occasion. Goth Nari Sangat Rural Women Organization’s presidents, WLEP field officers and active community members would speak to the participants, the official informed.