Shaheen Attiq-ur-Rahman Vice Chairperson BUNYAD Foundation

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Gender Gaps in Development Female Rural Lit. 10+

35% Literate

65% Illiterate

Total Illiterates 1972 28 Million 2004 46 Million

Source: 1998 Census

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  Pakistan has a very large number of female literates Resulting in

  Less girls enrollment in school

  More drop outs from the primary level

  Gender disparity arises in every sector.

  S e c o n d a r y S c h o o l enrollment also very low

  Adult Women’s indifference to be more illiterate

  ? How to create a demand with ICT

Illiterate Literate via Mobile Phones

 Completely. Illiterate young adolescent women, making them literate.  Traditionally acceptance Only of Literacy Quranic literate  Same alphabets, familiar....  Per- condition. ...that those identified were Quranic literate by "rote" system  Average age group . 18+  Married. 45 %  Un married. 55%  Rural areas .

Why Mobile Phones For Literacy In Pakistan?

  97 million mobile phone users /180 mil. Pop. = 50% users   Illiterate rural women nearly 70%   Wider gender gap (M- 63%, F- 36%)   Low efficiency of traditional literacy approaches   Low retention of literacy   72% have mobile phone while 12% have bank accounts

  Communication is fun and habitual   Anytime and Anywhere, possible to learn   Short, easy, simple, and interesting messages   95 million people have mobile phone in Pakistan   More Pakistanis have mobile phones then Bank Accounts

Mobile phone and SMS

Literacy in Pakistan

How to Do?

CChecked by Bunyad MLC Incharge

SMS (Bunyad IT Section

Send Message through Software)

T O T

Learner Write on Note Book

Checked by Mobilizers

Learners Response through SMS to Bunyad & their

families

Teacher Checked Notebook & Taking

test every week

Literacy Centers

Received By Teacher & Learner

Teacher’s Training on Computer

Holy Quran

& Hadis Health & Children

Care Hygiene

Nutrition

Body Care

Law & Union

Council

Environment

Economy Livestock General

Knowledge

Skills

Quotation

Recipes

Tips

Riddles

Jokes Poetry

Topics of the SMS

Steps Learning Process Female Learners   Pre-Test /Evaluation of learners   Reading and Writing in Urdu   Basic Numeracy   Hard ware and soft ware of Mobile   Functions of mobile   Typing at Mobile in Urdu   Learners received messages (1 to 10 words)   Writing messages on Notebook & Read out – Loudly   Orientation about computer   Received Messages,   Write & Reply Messages   Basic use of computer –internet etc   Received, write & Reply Messages   Post Evaluation   Assessment daily, weekly and monthly

• Literacy • Formal Education • Skills • Network • Govt./Others

CLC

MLC • Site for Community • Information Center • IT Hunt • Recreation • Co Capacity Building

Sustainability and Expansion   Contribution of Learners ($ 6) to continue for the next 4 months   Local donors being tapped   Making efforts for self financing this activity   MLC’s will be sustained as female computer centers ,short

courses   Now experimenting with those Learners who have their " own"

mobiles to Take to scale

Future of this Innovative Approach

  Subsidies being found from phone manufacturers   Linking with AIOU, distance learning for LLL.   In-process of making a computer software for transfer from SMS.   UN/NGO/Donor/Govt. could support to set standards, develop

messages, and monitor learning.

Phases 1st Phase 2nd Phase 3rd PhaseDuration August 2009 – December 2009 March 2010 – August 2010 March 2012 - October 2012Districts Lahore

Hafizabad Sialkot

Lahore Hafizabad Sialkot Mandi bhud Din

Rahim Yar Khan Muzzafergarh Multan Khanewal Sialkot

# of centers 10 50 50# of learners 250 1250 1250Level of Learning from Complete Illiteracy

Self Learning Self Learning Self Learning

% of success 83% (according to 3rd part evaluation report)

87% (according to 3rd part evaluation report)

89% (according to 3rd part evaluation report)

Current position At the end of phase 1 8 centers sustained, out of 10 centers –   Community Learning

Centers &owned by local communities .  

CLC’s have been developed, in most.   Having reading material’s  Have awareness sessions on

health& hygiene , live stock . CRC, women's rights etc   Learners completed their

shared with other sibling/children. female

10 Mobile Learning Centers up graded Female Computer Centers ,   Short courses given , fees

recovered.   75% learner still responding g

via SMS to us SMS

Third party Evaluation Dr. Ra’ana Malik , Gender Studies Department ,Punjab University

  . Illiterate Girls become literate in 7 months  Could Read and Write themselves,  Gained Confidence & continued their Learning due to relevant information/Messages  Parents/Male relatives gradually accepted this change

Strengths   Illiterate rural young women taught the 3 R’s reading,   writing & numeracy, learning to use the calculator   Messages, new ideas shared, health, religious, nutrition, child care, law etc   Short learning duration technology , 7 months.   Improved communication, leaving isolation   Besides becoming self Learners /tremendous confidence   Excited to learn, no dropouts!   Training of Teachers via Mobile phones   Use of calculator helps them in marketing   Use of ICT’s &technologies helpful in A E. Learners take interest in further

learning,   In third phase introduced e-Taleem App .were uploaded in memory cards, its.

Learners used this application in the absence of teacher. Could get guidance any time and any where.

  GAPS Male/ family suspicion an issue.   Suspicion by elders/ male relatives about its use   Govt. & Companies not too helpful, in cost sharing   Bit expensive :55$ per Learner (5 months +)   Phones may be taken over by male relatives

END RESULT   The member/client (2750)can read/write 600 messages +   Often also head lines of the News papers   Obtain messages for better Health, Farmers messages, Family

Planning, Law etc   Introduction of Technology to deprived female youth, easier relate to

Computer   Maths : 4 digits & use of calculators   Recognize 3 digits sums   Sustainability: Read Translation of 30 chapters of Holy QURAN.   62% learners still replying even after the project completion   Connect them to inter net.. Improved access to information   Main findings of evaluation report,

Success   Illiterate women become literate in months   Messages give them new ideas to improve their lives   Children’s home work help by these learners   Next step taking on new learners who have their own mobiles