Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...

The majority of the learners have completed the first three primers and want more books to read. Asthere is no library, they have requested project organizers to provide them with reading materials. AKarabi Rabha says, “You have taught us to read, so now give us more books like story books and otherbooks.”Capacity to Learn the National LanguageAt the moment, it is still too early in the project to evaluate whether there will be an increased capacityamong students to learn the national language.Socio-economic Impact on LearnersThe most important aspect of literacy is that it gives self-confidence. This, in turn, makes people capableof expressing their views. The voluntary teachers also feel proud that they have done something for thecommunity.In terms of quality of life improvement, one community-based organization (CBO), Prochesta, startedthe formation of self-help groups (SHG) among the women learners. They were taught the mechanismof thrift, how to take loans for income generation, leadership techniques, etc. The whole process tooktime, but the end result is that many of these women are now earning some money and helping to easethe financial burden of their families. This has made the neo-literate women become aware of theirsurroundings and their status in society. They have become much more confident and their interactingcapabilities have improved. After learning to read and write, their feelings of inferiority have dramaticallylessened.Indeed, some of these women have money in their own name for the first time in their lives. Usually inthis agrarian society women help in all types of agricultural work from planting paddy to reaping. Butonce the harvest reaches the granary, they can not sell even a fistful of grains without the permission ofthe men folk. It’s never equal work and equal share. Yet, by being SHG members, many have improvedtheir lifestyle. During monthly meetings, they may also learn about RCH, reproductive health and childcare, contraception, immunization, etc.This has helped in poverty alleviation. While literacy may not have opened all doors, it has at leastopened a few important ones for these neo-literates.Community Participation andOwnershipPeople always work better when they have a stakein whatever they do. It’s a part of human nature. Inthe same way, for a project to be sustainable, thecommunity must have a stake in it.© State Resource Centre AssamPeople’s participation is one way to stake a claim. Whenthe people realize that it is their own achievement (ofcourse, with help from others) which has producedresults, they will see to it that the project contines[ 104 ]