HYDERABAD: Speakers at a seminar have noted when women lead a community they give overwhelmingly positive feedback to stakeholders’ struggle for ensuring enrolment of girls in schools and helping parents feel more secure and comfortable.

They were speaking at the moot on “Role of women entrepreneurs (SEF school partners) in the development of education” organised by Sindh Education Foundation here the other day.

Shahpara Rizvi, Musarat Palijo and Shazia Solangi discussed impact and achievements of women entrepreneurs in rural and urban areas with SEF’s support, said a press release.

The SEF partners including Sadia Khalid, Bushra Shah, Shahnaz Begum and Zeenat traversed their journey from traditional educational methods to modern mechanisms and digital learning and said they could not have made it possible without SEF’s support.

They said: “We had never imagined time would come when we would become role models in society. Rural women preferred home-based work but, after educational development, parents are now sending children to schools, believing change is only possible through education.”

HR director Abdul Jabbar Mari said that communities played a crucial role in fostering positivity but expecting results from a struggling community without making investment was unjust.

He said that investing in communities to help them realise their importance yielded better results. Enhance trust in community by recognising its ability to send children to school. “Women, in particular, excel in this role, as they effectively create enabling environments. Whether as mothers, sisters, wives, or daughters, they embody excellence. We take pride in our partnerships,” he said.

Ms Rana Hussain, educationist and keynote speaker, was astonished at women partners’ talent and said these women represented transformation which triggered change within local communities through entrepreneurial endeavours in education.

She emphasised the need for a more serious approach, advocating infusion of positivity into mainstream culture and said Sindh was the only province where education was conducted in mother tongue, underscoring responsibility of every woman to raise awareness among populace, especially those blessed with abundance.

SEF managing director Abdul Kabir Kazi highlighted remarkable achievement of SEF, with approximately 260 women managing 300 schools and announced launch of ‘Care for Life’ programme for 300 schools, which was aimed at educating children in how to interact with nature, society, animals and fellow humans.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2024