Posted to Sister Zeph’s Journal
By Sister Zeph
On 12 April, 2013
By Zephaniah
I was quite mischievous during my childhood and held a leadership position at school. My dream was to become a lawyer, and I wrote my first article on women’s rights for a renowned Pakistani newspaper, the Daily Jang, at the age of 13. I was a dreamer, always yearning to reach new heights and explore what was different.
Like many mothers in my country, mine would often tell me that one day I would get married. But I couldn’t help thinking, “No, I wasn’t sent into this world just to get married.” My heart told me there was more to life.
I was a sensitive child, and one incident forever changed my life. I left school in the 7th grade and vowed never to return. My heart was crushed, and I wept for days. I wanted to die, and I secluded myself, refusing to see anyone. It felt as though my heart was withering away inside me.
One day, while delivering a speech to my class while standing on the teacher’s chair, I was reprimanded and publicly humiliated by my teacher. She subjected me to physical and psychological abuse, and my classmates joined in the mockery. I was left crying and deeply scarred emotionally.
That moment became a turning point. I decided to defy everyone’s expectations and do something unexpected. I made the life-altering choice to leave school, and in an instant, all my dreams seemed to vanish. My parents tried to force me to attend another school, but I resisted.
However, my thirst for knowledge never waned. I embarked on a private study journey at home without seeking any tuition. Simultaneously, I made a commitment to teach girls with respect, love, and care, something I felt was lacking in my previous school. I began visiting homes in my village, creating pamphlets to distribute and spreading the word about my school. I assured everyone that education would be free. Every Sunday, my mother and I visited people, but no one was willing to trust or join my school. It was almost comical; nobody believed in a 13-year-old. But I persevered, determined to spare other children the suffering I had endured.
I pledged never to use corporal punishment in my school and to make education engaging for the children. Initially, I had just one student. We began our classes outdoors, without a building, pen, copy machines, or many books. In the summer, we sat under the sun; in winter, we huddled under blankets. Rain meant abandoning our studies. Our roof was the sky, sometimes blessing us with fair weather for outdoor study, and sometimes not.
At age sixteen, I passed my matriculation and began working as a receptionist at a telecom franchise, earning a meager $15 per month. This money became my lifeline, used to buy stationery and other essentials for my school. I have continued working ever since. In 2010, I obtained a Master’s degree in Political Science. Currently, I am pursuing another Master’s degree in History. Remarkably, all this education was acquired without formal institutions or teachers.
To date, I have taught around 500 girls through five different centers: the Women Learning Center, which instructs twenty students in stitching, embroidery, and soft skills; the Formal Education Center, with one hundred students; the English Language Course, with 15 girls; the Computer Center, serving ten students; and the Beauty Salon Training Center, with 10 students. I provide all these services voluntarily and free of charge.
In addition to my work at the organization, I also manage the World Wide Women’s Community page as an admin. I administer my own page, Zephaniah Free Education, and contribute to various websites by writing blogs on women’s issues in my region. I’m still a student, currently learning journalism through World Pulse and World Wide Women. I produce theatrical info-dramas in my community to convey messages of peace, respect for women, and the importance of education.
My teams are my family, and my coworkers in my office provide unwavering moral support. The kind and loving friends I’ve made on Facebook offer opportunities to explore my ideas. In my part of the world, there is a pressing need to improve education. My journey has just begun.
In my region, women endure a lifetime of mental and physical torment, lacking education, empowerment, and protection. Child marriage and honor killings persist as grave issues. The suffering and vulnerability of women motivate me to keep pushing forward. I firmly believe that education and awareness of our rights are the ultimate solutions to our problems. I aspire to see every girl educated, empowered, and protected, and for this cause, I will continue my lifelong struggle.