Working to survive and studying to secure a brighter future...

Many of TCF’s students come from extremely deprived backgrounds with most living in slums or remote rural villages. Often they come from poor, illiterate families, many of whom sacrifice the vital income potential of their children to send them to school. Some of our students fit jobs around their school day, often studying late into the night. For some girls, the disapproval of their families and communities is an added risk. Despite these tremendous odds, our students aim high and trust in hard work and perseverance.

Rashida is 11 years old – her father works on a fishing trawler. He goes out to sea during fishing season and can be away for weeks. When he is away, Rashida has to go to work with her mother at the shrimp peeling factory.

Rashida has to be at work at 4am every morning, and is paid 10 rupees (about 7 pence) for every basket of shrimp that she peels. She works till about 7am and then goes to school. She returns to the factory after school and works there till late afternoon. In total, she works six hours a day.

Rashida says: “I don’t mind doing the work. It’s ok I guess. I don’t want to do it for long though. I want to become a doctor when I grow up. But until then, to earn money, I will peel shrimps. I put henna on my hands. Henna is good because it helps with the pain you get in your fingertips from peeling the shrimp.

Rashida is the eldest of her five brothers and sisters and is the only one fortunate enough to go to school. Her sister goes to a madrassah. “She studies the Quran’, says Rashida. “I also study the Quran. But in my school, I also study English, Urdu, science, Islamic studies… I study everything.”

TCF initiative bringing change for the wider community

Jugnoo is an accelerated adult literacy program initiated by New Century Education (NCE) to empower women so that by the end of the program they can: 

Partners in this program are TCF, NCE and National Foods (sponsor).

With TCF’s collaboration (project also known as Agahi) 1,500 students have completed the course and 1,000 more graduated this May.

The Jugnoo program is held at 40 TCF Schools where classes for 30 students are held 5 days a week for two hours every day.

Through courses such as the Jugnoo program, TCF is able to make full use of its robust facilities, thereby educating the wider community with essential skills.  These skills will make easy their day-to-day business and improve their quality of life.

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