Teach girls to be independent

My name is Sana and I live in Gujranwala Pakistan. I am doing beautician course at Zephaniah Free Education.

Here I am going to share a story with you, which will prove that education really matters. This is my friend’s Story. I am going to write it with heavy heart because it has very bad ending. But I think that through writing this, I can help some other girls and their parents to be aware of the importance of girl’s education and empowerment.

My friend belonged to a very poor family. Her father has been died and her brothers had no care for her and family. Her mother was working as a mad in someone’s house. My friend was a very beautiful girl but her mother could not manage to provide education to her. Her mother did not let her go out from home without any important thing to do so my friend did not have any experience to tackle with people outside her home.

One day, I and other friends made a plan to spend some enjoyable time on a local event. She was also with us. At that event, there were security arrangements and one of the security officers saw my friend. He was so astonished when he saw so much beauty; he talked to that girl and asked for mobile number. She was scared because he was a police officer and gave her number. When he called her, he said that he is in love with her and proposed her. She was very happy that a high designated officer wants to marry her. She tried to tell her family but their response was so dangerous. She got scared and decided to leave home without the permission of her parents. She was unaware of the issue that this thing can cause to make her a victim of honor killing. She was in love that time and had no care of anything else. They decided to do court marriage and she left her mother’s home.

After court marriage, her husband took her to his home but his family did not accept her as family member. They took their court marriage so negative and started doing persecution on her. All the time, they try to tease her.

After some time the girl got pregnant. This news was like bomb to her in laws, because after the birth of her child, she would get more importance in her husband’s life. They tried to do things which may be a reason to abort her child. Once they tried to give her poisoned food but God saved her. Due to pregnancy she became so weak but they did not take her to doctor for checkup. Even her husband had no more care for her. She became alone in that house. She even can’t go back to her mother’s home because they had ended every relation with her since the day of her marriage. Her life became miserable.

Here one question comes in my mind, What if she would be educated? Would she do such foolish thing of marrying an irresponsible person? Did she leave her mother who did a lot for her and her siblings up? And even she did these things, but after, she must have sense to ask for her rights from her husband and his family. She may file for divorce and through education, she may move on her life towards positivity. But just one mistake of letting her stay uneducated ruined her life.

The end of this story is just horrible because one day, her mother in law shoved her from roof and she died. But there was nobody to ask her in laws that why they did this because the victim has no one from her parents to support her, to care of her. If she got married with her family’s permission, they may file a case against her in laws for such brutality. But her real mother said that she deserved this, her life became a reason of an insult for them because of court marriage.

I just want to say to all parents that for God Sake, let your girls get education, make them so strong that they have mental power to fight any tough situation coming their way. And I request to all girls that don’t be fool of letting idiot boys to ruin your life.

Education will make your daughters independent and they will not be trapped by men only because of their status but they will have a sense to accept them because of their character

And I want to tell the society getting married with own choice is neither a crime nor a sin.

At the end, I also want to request government to make education accessible to poor people and our institution Zephaniah Free Education is an example of this initiative. In our center, Sister Zeph provides free education and skill development trainings to educate and empower girls so they may become a positive resource towards their society, family and themselves. Government should provide funds to such institutes for the progress at national level.