Posted to Sister Zeph’s Journal
By Sister Zeph
On 28 June, 2013
Kausar, a confident and intelligent woman in her late thirties, has four children who are currently my students. She began visiting my home a few months ago when she took on the responsibility of managing my stitching and embroidery centers. Balancing a full-time job, I needed someone to keep these centers organized, and she has been doing an excellent job.
Last week, Kausar shared a moment of sheer joy with me. She made a public announcement in front of a gathering of a hundred men and women, stating that I, Sister Zeph, am going to establish a beauty salon where young girls can learn valuable skills. She initially had doubts about her ability to make such an announcement, but with my guidance on posture, speech, and content, she overcame her apprehensions. In her excitement, she confided in me for the first time, revealing a painful truth: her husband, a drug addict, returns home late at night and physically abuses her on a daily basis.
Now, she trusts me completely and poured her heart out, sharing her story for over two hours. I wanted her to feel at ease, to voice the pent-up emotions she had been enduring daily. Recently, when her husband attempted to harm her once again, she gathered her children and asked them in front of him with whom they wished to live. Their response was resounding: they chose to stay with their mother. Kausar informed her husband that he would be left alone if none of them wanted to be with him. She declared her newfound strength and vowed to stand up for her rights, insisting that he respect her as his wife and not treat her as a servant.
Kausar is currently learning stitching, English, and aspires to learn computer skills. Her dream is to earn enough money to free herself from her husband’s torment over trivial matters. She harbors dreams and hopes to realize them through the assistance of Zephaniah Free Education. I am delighted to have four women on my team who are teaching valuable skills, with more than thirty women actively learning. Once we establish the salon, I anticipate empowering approximately one hundred women in just one year.
Kausar serves as an inspiring example of how small opportunities and care can transform lives, rescuing individuals from suffering and mental anguish. Perhaps this is why some men oppose women’s education, fearing that an empowered and informed female populace will no longer tolerate servitude. In a marriage, both spouses have distinct roles to play, but they should always hold mutual respect for each other. No man has the right to diminish a woman’s self-esteem.
Now, it’s up to all of us to decide whether we want to help such women with our time, resources, education, or skills or contribute to the perpetuation of a sick society that prevails in many parts of our world. This is a question for all my readers to ponder.
Sincerely,
Sister Zeph