When a girl in Benin is taunted for ‘a girl in school’ she makes a word ‘Batonga’ to describe the empowerment education gave her. In Sindh we have to work with same spirit for girls education like “Batonga Foundation” did in Africa. In Sindh parents normally thought “if a girl go to school, what will she get?” Nothing!
Going to school only prevents her from labor for the family or getting married. So its necessary to give incentive to the parents, as they allow their girls to get education. In Ethiopia, a United Nations Foundation Girl Fund Program gives 25$ and a goat or a sheep to the family who allows their teen age daughters to attend school and keep them unmarried for at least two years.
In rural areas of Sindh girls are sold like goats, we have to address it, not through police harassment, not through courts, not through media coverage, but through a UNO funded program as shown above. “Niani Pardhe!” is a slogan for girls education in Sindh. Because an educated girl makes society strong, healthy and vivacious, engages her in civil activities and grow up as a very responsible civilian and send their siblings to school, that will have a ripple effect.
