Posted to Sister Zeph’s Journal
By Sister Zeph
On 25 August, 2014
On August 25, 2014, Sister Zeph, reflecting on her past, wishes to recount the transformative journey of a former student from Government High School. This student was a spirited young girl with a penchant for leadership who aspired to become a lawyer. At the age of 13, she penned her inaugural article on women’s rights for the esteemed Pakistani newspaper, Daily Jung. She harbored lofty dreams and a desire to soar beyond conventional expectations. However, her life took a sudden turn due to a profoundly distressing incident.
In seventh grade, while delivering an impromptu speech, she stood atop her teacher’s chair. Her teacher, who we now refer to as Teacher Sajida, responded with a harsh and public chastisement, accompanied by derogatory language. The incident left the girl emotionally and psychologically wounded, causing her to abandon her schooling and contemplate self-harm. The pain she endured felt like a relentless heartache, one that she was unwilling to share with others.
In the midst of her despair, she found herself mimicking a teacher, addressing her peers. Teacher Sajida’s arrival marked another ordeal, as she proceeded to physically punish the girl in front of her classmates. This public humiliation added to the girl’s emotional torment, strengthening her resolve to sever ties with the school. This decision marked the end of her cherished dreams.
Although her parents implored her to enroll in another institution, she adamantly refused. However, she did not relinquish her commitment to education. She began to study privately in her home, eschewing any need for tuition. Simultaneously, she embarked on a mission to educate girls in her community, offering them the respect, love, and care she herself had been denied. She canvassed her village, creating pamphlets to promote her free educational initiative. She persisted in persuading neighboring villages to enroll their girls, despite facing skepticism due to her age.
Her determination led to the establishment of an open-air school without a physical structure or basic supplies like pens and notebooks, using only a few available books. Regardless of weather conditions, her students persevered, studying under the sky or huddled under blankets during winter, interrupted only by rainfall.
At the age of sixteen, she secured a job as a receptionist in a telecom franchise, earning a meager $15 per month. She used this income to procure stationary and other essentials for her school. Over the years, she continued her education independently, attaining a master’s degree in Political Science in 2010 and currently pursuing another master’s degree in History, all without the aid of formal institutions or teachers.
To date, she has provided education to approximately 600 girls through five centers: The Women Learning Center, offering courses in stitching, embroidery, and soft skills; Formal Education, catering to a hundred students; English Language Course, with fifteen participants; Computer Center, accommodating ten students; and Beauty Salon Training Center, with ten trainees. Her services remain voluntary, and all education is provided free of charge.
In addition to her educational endeavors, she also serves as an administrator for the World Wide Women’s community page and manages her own page, “Zephaniah Free Education.” She contributes blogs on women’s issues for various websites. Her pursuit of knowledge continues as she learns journalism through World Pulse and World Wide Women.
Furthermore, she produces info-dramas in her community to impart messages of peace, respect for women, and the significance of education. Her teams function as her extended family, with coworkers offering unwavering support in her office. Her compassionate Facebook friends provide opportunities to explore her ideas.
In her region, the need for educational improvement is glaring. The plight of women is marked by perpetual mental and physical abuse, a lack of education, disempowerment, and the scourge of child marriage and honor killings. Witnessing the suffering of women fuels her determination to persist, to never relent in her quest. She firmly believes that education and awareness of women’s rights are the ultimate solutions to these grave issues.
In conclusion, the girl who endured humiliation, beatings, and derogatory language from Teacher Sajida in 1997 was none other than Sister Zeph, who now extends her gratitude to her former teacher. These tribulations ultimately paved the way for Sister Zeph’s remarkable journey of empowering hundreds of lives, a journey fueled by resilience and a commitment to the cause of education and women’s rights.