Shugna’s dream came true

Shugna was born in a village which is located in a remote area where there was no access to any school nearby. There was a government school but it was located far away from her village. According to Shugna’s culture, women are not allowed to travel alone or attend school if it offers a co-education system. Also, the majority of parents in her village do not value girls’ education and want their daughters to focus on household chores. Therefore, only boys from her village were permitted to travel and attend the government school. However, Shugna and other girls in the village had a strong desire to also be in school even though they were compelled to stay at home.

The Parkari Community Development Programme (PCDP) did some awareness raising programs on the importance of education, especially for girls and later started a primary school in Shugna’s village. Shugna was given permission to attend the village school and successfully finished her primary education. She completed her higher secondary education at a city school on a private basis where she was not expected to attend regular classes but only needed to be present for examinations. Shugna worked hard to finish her higher secondary education and decided to become a teacher. She is now teaching in her village school. Shugna teaches children in the morning and adult women in the evening.