Building 2200 Schools for Girls: Empowering The Communities of Balochistan Through Education with Dr. Quratul Ain Bakhteari
Dr. Quratul Ain Bakhteari is a Pakistani activist, social entrepreneur and community organizer known for founding the Institute for Development Studies and Practices. With a passion for education and empowerment. Dr. Quratul Ain Bakhteari spearheaded the founding of 2200 schools for women in the communities of Balochistan, changing the lives of women and children. She then launched IDSP (Institute for Development Studies and Practices) to empower young, vulnerable and excluded women and men of her country. A True Activist and Kind Soul, it is our honor to present you with Dr. Bakhteari’s inspiring and though-provoking interview.
You say that you have the activism of your mother, and the wisdom of your father. Was there a specific moment from your childhood / any moment with them that made you who you are today?
After migrating to Pakistan in 1947, my parents decided to create the roots of their family from scratch by making their home in one of the largest refugee settlements in Karachi. I lived there with my family for the first 12 to 14 years of my life. It was community living where every basic need has to be met either by improvising or by struggling, and this way of life became part of my DNA.
Those 12 to 14 years have formed who I am today.
I always saw my mother standing up for the widows and orphans by fighting gangs of thugs who would harass the widows in order to occupy their home or the room that the government gave them. My mother often packed bags of groceries and gave them to me to deliver to the poor and needy. Although we too did not have much ourselves, she believed in giving. My father’s belief, “ I have no right on the money from the lands as I have not worked on, I cannot feed my children with haraam money. These ideologies and the struggles we went through, had a great impact on my core character; it made me more giving and encouraged me to dedicate my life of struggle to help overcome barriers and obstacles, protect the rights of others, never live off money that was not mine, and most of all, never be afraid of any human being.
What was the life changing experience of working with refugees like?
I was married, at the age of 16, to a very decent, educated man, but his family was traditional. My husband was a very successful professional at 21 and I was a mother to three amazing boys. I had just moved in 1971, designed and constructed my own home with five bedrooms, lounges and a great living room when war broke out between India and Pakistan, a conflict on the then East Pakistan. I was in my own little world; me, my children, my husband, the cars, the domestic helpers and other luxuries such as clothes, jewelry, shopping, hairdressers and friends. Slowly I started seeing refugees, mostly women with their babies and little children pouring in our neighborhood in very poor overall condition.
I found my extravagant ways of living in deep contradiction with this new reality around me. I started meeting the refugees and organizing support for them.
As a mother and a housewife whose only world was her children and home, these stories made me realize that I could not live with these contradictions.
I stopped all expenditures on my home. I gave shelter to the family of a widow who lost her husband and two sons. We all lived together as a family and my children grew up in a refugee camp like experience. As guests would come to meet them, we heard a lot of the horrible stories of the war of 1971.
This life changing experience encouraged me to visit refugee camps. I dedicated my time with the refugees in their settlements and helped in building their homes and communities.
However, all this new knowledge was very confusing and disturbing. I felt disconnected from the reality around me and felt fear going through my spinal cord and I shivered, as I shared these horrible experiences of the refugees with my children. I lost all interest in my home, money, clothes and all material assists and the pleasure that came with them.
I joined the university's program for masters in social work and got involved with community practices in the refugees settlements in the form of community rehabilitation. This shift of my involvement outside my home domain created problems. I was no longer the same efficient and full time available housewife and mom who only cared for her three children. My vision of motherhood had gone beyond personal boundaries.
Finally the time came when I was given a choice to be a traditional house wife or leave my family. It was a tough choice as there was no way around it. I had to continue what I was engaged in. Leaving one’s home and children is a brutal decision for a mother.
Dr. Quratul Ain Bakhteari, An Orients course in women leadership, in our University of Community Development campus in Quetta Balochistan- Pakistan
I lived on my own for eight or nine years with nothing much to live on. I was using public buses again and came back to the same life that I lived in the refugee settlement home in my childhood. I completed my masters with first class, first position, continued my community work and went to England for my Phd.
When I returned after my Phd we all came back as a family. My sons had grown and my husband understood my path. I was a mother, back in my home but as a professional in community development and committed to make changes in the lives of women and men trapped in the circle of decaying lives . I was hired by several international programs as a consultant . My husband and children held me in great respect and acknowledgment. Finally we had a real relationship as a family with meaning for their existence.
What are the challenges you faced as you opened 2200 schools in Pakistan?
It was 1992, and I was asked by the government of Balochistan to be their advisor for promoting girls education in the province, a five year project funded by The World Bank. I was very happy to take this challenge, as I had no knowledge or exposure to the deep , rugged, tribal , dry and arid mountainous and plain deserts of Balochistan. With its largest land area the size of France , and its poor, isolated population being less than 5% of Pakistan in 1990, not many professionals wanted to work in Balochistan on a long term basis . This province is lowest on every socio economic indicator.
However, I was very happy to devote myself to girls education there for the next five years. I created a team of local young men and women, as community education promoters. We created a methodology of building public - private partnerships to establish girls rural primary schools, supported by communities.
Our first step was to identify village based teachers, but the paradox was: if there were no girls schools, where will the female teachers come from?
I wanted to find out for myself, from the people of the community.
We visited 4000 villages , and met every household in these villages. To my delight and surprise, I came across more than 3000 young women, mostly 8th grade educated and coached by their fathers and brothers at home. All these relatives of the girls were teachers in boys schools in their villages . They got the books from their schools and taught their daughters, sisters , Nieces, some times grand daughters and grand nieces. When the time came to yearly exams , they were registered in the boys schools , if they faced resistance from the administration, they would register their girls under boys names. Therefore , the government records had hardly any girls from rural areas with 8th or 10th graduates. When I got these girls detail credentials and shared with the government, it was a great surprise for them , yielding their support.
The most resistance I saw was when I wanted to convince the government to readjust their teachers hiring policy to only teachers from a rural area. With very intensive lobbying and arguments, we could finally re-adjust the policy, only on condition that within three years of their appointment they will complete their tenth grade , and go for teachers training .
This methodology helped create 2200 girls rural primary schools, by the leadership of 3000 rural women as teachers, who enrolled more than 200,000 girls for the first time in the history of the country .
I did not get opposition against girls' education from anywhere . It was very intensive hard work with a focus to break down the barriers due to traditional and cultural practices and beliefs . Secondly, the centuries of living in isolated tribal communities created cultural mental obstacles .
The methodology of COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROCESS ( CSP) is a stepwise community education, trust building and creating partnership process .
This methodology became very popular at the World Bank, all over Pakistan and the government made CSP as its policy for promoting girls education.
Instead of leaving the province after the project, I wanted to do more. I created the concept of creating an Institute for Development Studies and Practices, IDSP, for the young, vulnerable and excluded women and men of the whole country . IDSP National Campus is in Quetta, created in 1989. After 14 years, the Government of Balochistan leased 4 acres of land to convert IDSP into a University of Community Development. Today , more than 7000 women and men have graduated from our courses in empowerment. Today, IDSP has empowered more than 400 midwives and are established as entrepreneurs in community based maternal health- care professionals.
Your advice to women growing up in poor, oppressed communities and families? How can they get empowered, and what can we do as a society?
Women in challenging situations, must learn and practice inner emotional strength. They must not be ashamed of anything they have done or what people say against them, they must focus on developing their intellect and becoming economically independent . A strong, healthy , knowledgeable and economically empowered woman is accepted , loved , cared and respected by her loved ones and all those that matter . Giving good service for others and contributing in the process of social change is the best route to empowerment with respect.
Share a story of a refugee that is a personal inspiration to you? And, what was the most rewarding moment in your life?
A student of IDSP, Ashraf, is a 12 year Afghan refugee who worked on the streets of Quetta collecting garbage since the age of five. His family were victims to the Afghan war. After they lost everything, they migrated to Quetta. Ashraf was born in Pakistan. Ashraf always used to keep half of his face covered with a cloth. One day in class, he came to me and said, “I want to talk to you.”
He said, “ I need help , I am in great pain , please take me to a doctor.” He took off the cloth covering his face. For a minute, I could not say or do anything , his full half face and forehead was a mushy flesh with blood and Pus coming out , I asked what is this , seeing the look on my face he immediately covered his face. With pain in his eyes and voice , he said, “everyone wants me to be away from them , no one can stand me , I am made to eat separately. Every week I take two injections of pain killer , only then I function and complete my garbage work , to ensure I bring money home.”
Ashraf was two and half sleeping under a shelf , his father worked to fix old batteries, and kept acid bottles on this shelf. At night , there is no electricity, his father was looking for something on the shelf , his hand struck the acid bottle , and it fell on little ASHRAF’s face as he slept. His eyes were saved , but his half face was burnt , being poor they could not do any treatment, and Ashraf lived with this pain. We got him to Karachi to the doctors in a great charity hospital. We arranged to pay the family Rs. 5000 per month for Ashraf ‘s share of family income, plus 5000 per month for a special diet.
After three months , he was operated on. I cannot explain the happiness on Ashraf’s face and eyes . My heart felt so blessed . I have no words to express.
After one year , Ashraf started to study , and he completed his eight grade . Then we enrolled him in IDSP’s film making course.. Ashraf worked hard. Today he is working for Quetta’s TV station , as a freelancer for the camera crew . He got his sisters in school, against his whole family’s wishes. He is helping the children working in garbage picking now, and is a handsome and transformed professional young man.
How have the women you educated changed their communities for the better and re-wrote the social paradigms?
An impact study by the government of Balochistan and UNICEF shows some great outcomes. Some of these outcomes included:
Dr. Quratul Ain Bakhteari, An Orients course in women leadership, in our University of Community Development campus in Quetta Balochistan- Pakistan
Girls were marrying at a more mature age
family planning was being practiced
pregnancies were being spaced apart,
there was much less sickness in the girls coming out of CSP schools
women got a better understanding of their voting rights.
Right for higher education,
Most importantly, all IDSP’s graduates inspired girls for education , as the community saw the socio economic changes with girls as teachers, midwives and in various other social development positions .
We also witness people break marital engagements of children, girls have a choice in who they are marrying, more families are now taking into consideration the girls consent for marriages instead of girls being forced into a marriage. There is a major shift in women’s social and economic position in their family, community and in Balochistan. This larger change is also due to the access to the Internet. The commissioner of Quetta is a woman and magistrates and judges are women. Being a mother is now considered, by many, to be the most important role in a woman's life.
What is your advice to young social activists?
Learn to empathize, listen to your inner voice , never judge any situation in material gains or loss. Humans are more valuable than anything in this world . Life must have meaning beyond material aspects .
Can motherhood sometimes stand in the way of a woman who wants to advocate for change?
Motherhood should not be considered an obstruction in standing for social change. My one major lesson of my life is that women must not take motherhood as a limitation or restricting factor in her abilities to grow and nurture her intellectual, spiritual and emotional growth and development. A strong and active, socially, educationally and politically engaged mother is a great pride and these abilities assist her in raising her family as well. This is an enlightened way forward and a reference point to generations to come. All change has to start from within the family, then communities and connect those to global change.
What is the next step for you/your next big dream?
My next big dream is a combination of several small dreams.
I want to write my work as a methodology of learning and working with the people to initiate change.
Establish a University of Community Development in Quetta with a global knowledge system.
Contribute in creating a borderless world.
Create a space for sharing stories of women and families lives and their struggles survival and growth.
Visit www.idsp. org. pk for more details on impact of IDSP’s programs.
Thank you Dr. Quratul Ain Bakhteari for empowering our Women’s Network! You are a true inspiration to women everywhere!
Bio: Dr. Quratul Ain Bakhteari created models in community based low cost onsite households pit toilets in low income settlements in Karachi, and Quetta, 1980 - 89, created methodology of community support for promoting girls education in Balochistan, 1992 - 1996 , established 2200 girl’s schools, enrolling more the 200,000 girls .
Founder of Institute for Development Study and Practices- Pakistan, President/ Director , 1998 continued, based in Balochistan,
180, 000 young people graduated from IDSP’s courses in community based development and entrepreneurship. 30 % being women.
HONORS AND AWARD:
• Social Entrepreneurship, Skoll Award for 2006
• Lifetime Achievement Award from the Government of Balochistan, 2017.
• Nominated for “1000 Women” for the Nobel Peace Prize, 2005.
• Ashoka Fellowship Award, 1998, 1999 – 2001.
• Pakistan Jaycees Award for Outstanding Performance in Field of Social Work, 1984.
• Pakistan Jaycees Award for Outstanding Performance in Field of Women’s Development, 1986.
• Matushita Memorial Award for International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, Tokyo, 1987.
• Women's Development Award, Jaycees, 1986.
• Academy for Educational Development, Washington, Best Project Development Staff Member Award,1996.
• Gold Medal in Master’s in Social Work, University of Karachi, Pakistan, 1980.
• Outstanding Achievement Honour UNICEF 1983
• Honoured from Primary Education Development Government Of Balochistan 1996,
• Agha Khan University Award Speaker,
• Indus Valley school of ARTS AND DESIGN Keynote speaker AND AWARDS
Sorry , hope not to late this part of my bio was missed ,
PhD in Community Development
University of Technology, Loughborough, England | 1987
Master of Arts in Social Work
University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan | 1980
Bachelor of Arts in Social Science
University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan | 1972
Views expressed of that of the author. Women who win #DreamCatchersBearsNoResponsibility.