{ school is key to turning things around. He said Zhymag did not have any hope of improving education or retaining the girls until CAI came along.“ Education is the life of a person. Without education, we cannot understand our life.”
GIRLS BECOME WOMEN Although CAI is all about education, its work has evolved beyond educating children and building schools.
CAI’ s literacy and vocational projects give women opportunities to overcome the“ seemingly insurmountable array of obstacles [ that ] are preventing them from becoming productive and empowered citizens within our society,” Syed Mohammad Ali wrote in a January 2013 op-ed in the Tribune( Pakistan).
One of the biggest problems is illiteracy. Pakistan’ s literacy rate is 55 percent, but only 40 percent of women can read and write, according to UNESCO, and only 18 percent of Pakistani women have received 10 years or more of schooling. The numbers are even lower in rural areas where CAI works.
As a result, many women“ work from home to help ensure their households’ survival,” Ali wrote. Yet they“ contend with varied problems, including restrictions on their physical mobility, inadequate education, a lack of skills, limited access to productive resources or credit, and scant state support. … Their work is undervalued and they are denied any form of legal protection.”
One way to change that is by“ encouraging improvement of their existing skill levels while simultaneously ensuring that the households of these workers derive greater benefit from the fruits of their labor,” he suggested. And that is precisely what CAI does. In June, at CAI-supported Hasis Vocational Center in the Ishkoman Valley west of Gilgit, about 50 women completed additional training for sewing and embroidery.
“ We thank CAI for the building and the training,” elder Niyat Murad told the crowd that gathered for the graduation ceremony.“ Now about 50 of the women of our village are able to support their family. … This is our first step.”
But Hasis needs more help, he said.“ Still we have lots of problems in our village and we hope Central Asia Institute will further support us to solve those problems.”
Saidullah Baig, CAI project manager in Paksitan’ s Gilgit region, said he admired the villagers’ determined enthusiasm, but CAI takes things one at a time. Before any new projects can be discussed, the community must make the vocational center a success.
“ Now this is the phase where you assess your own sustainability,” he said.“ We provided the place and training. Now it is up to you how far you can make it successful, how you can make yourself empowered.”
COMMUNITY-DRIVEN FOCUS Empowering local communities is at the heart of CAI’ s mission. That requires step-bystep work with village elders, religious and government leaders, students, teachers, and parents.
“ CAI’ s success is because we integrated the communities into the projects,” Mortenson said.“ That’ s the only way to keep these
A father and son take an early morning stroll on the streets of Murghab, Tajikistan.
6 | Journey of Hope C E N T R A L A S I A I N S T I T U T E