VARANASI: Suman, a rural woman living in Gaura village, today uses mobile phone for twin purposes -- for communication and enhancing learning skill. Not only Suman but many other rural women, like Jyoti and Sunita of Chiraigaon and Urmila of Prahaladpur, are also using mobile phones as a tool for learning alphabets and calculation.
"I was illiterate. But today I am learning how to read and write at the education centre," said Munni Devi, a native of Mustafabad. Her illiterate husband works as a labourer. She wants to educate her children properly. In fact, these women are associated with project 'Mahila Shakti', a programme of women empowerment through education initiative with effective communication mechanism. The project is facilitated by local NGO Human Welfare Association (HWA).
According to HWA president Rajni Kant, the education programme started in April, 2011 in Chiraigaon block today covers 1,024 women associated with over 100 women self-help groups with a network of education centres in 33 villages.
"The mobile phone is used to teach these women how they can use mobile phone for their day to day conversation, increase business and improve their personality," said Rajni Kant, adding the mobile phone was also used to make these illiterate women to recognise the digits and alphabets depicted on the key pad. The women were enthusiastic to use the mobile phones in their education curriculum and today 128 women had purchased mobile phones, he said and added the mobile phone would also be helpful in the process of empowering the poorest and most disadvantaged section of the society through effective and transparent communication techniques.