Testimonies from 2006
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Jackie Van-Reisylberg
In June and July, 2006, 18 students and three of the Eugene International High School and three teachers went to Bangalore and
visited Southern India. Our objective was a community service project at Zubeda Ishaq’s, najmussahar girls high School in Bangalore.We would spend 12 days with Zubeda’s students, working with her 200 girls.
What we all took away from the experience was a first hand appreciation of what her very very poor girls endure in their meager lives and, by contrast, gain from Zubeda’s dedication and love.
We got to know girls who, without Zubeda, would have no chance at schools other than broken structures with abusive teachers, schools which are nonetheless considered schools by the Indian government. These girls would then, after three years, be married off at 15 or 16 to then, with a child every year, continue the cycle of poverty and abuse.
Those of us lucky enough to know Zubeda and her work and to participate with her in some capacity have t the vision and mission of empowering
these beautiful, enthusiastic bright girls by providing them with a healthy loving school environment where they receive nutrition, medical
care, books, school fees, uniforms, shoes—all those things they need to be successful students, but cannot otherwise afford.
Zubeda’s goal does not end with a girl’s high school diploma. Her diploma is but a beginning.She recognizes the rich opportunities now available in modern Bangalore, and India. She wants her students to be part of the new economicopportunities open to women. Her ongoing educational goal takes hergirls totwo years of university in order to keep them away from early marriage. Of course the result is manifold: the girls are kept out of the early marriage market and they are provided with the additional education to qualify them for the many jobs now available. This education gives these girls empowerment and freedom!
If, after two years, a girl shows Zubeda good grades and the desire, she makes sure that her student finishes the university. Zubeda’s
girls are being provided love, support and the opportunity to realize a potential traditionally denied to so many for so long.
-Jackie
Jenifer Diallo
I am an experienced traveler myself, but this was a new destination for me – India. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect of the journey. I had entertained young Peace Corps volunteers at my home in Africa, but never traveled with a large group of high school students. I had been to so many places in the world, but never India. And I had never really thought I would go there. I had dreams of other places in my head. But here I was tagging along for the experience and the joy of traveling with my friend. I was looking forward to exploring a place that I knew so little about. And I was looking forward to seeing my new friend, Zubeda, at home in India and meeting the girls she had told us so much about.
We would spend 30 days with 19 students in India, including our first stop, two weeks at the Najmus Sahar Girls High School in Bangalore, where our American students would do some community service activities. There we spent time getting to know the schoolgirls, who ranged in age from 13 to 17. This high school is unusual for India. It provides an education for disadvantaged Muslim girls who would otherwise not continue their education. Although the high school is called an “English School”, many of the girls come into the 8th class without speaking English. They may have done their primary education in Urdu or Kannada, and now must learn a new language to continue their studies. Zubeda, the director of the school is a dynamic woman from Bangalore who returned home after years of living in Oregon, to “do something” to help girls in India. It’s amazing to see how tirelessly she works, despite severe arthritis that requires her to walk with a cane or support. Her main goal is to support the girls’ material needs, so that the girls’ education is permitted by their families and allowed to continue as long as the girl wants to go to school. Not only their school fees are paid, but also medical and dental care, uniforms and books, and even sweaters for their mothers! If a girl wants to continue to college and university, Zubeda makes that happen, as well. While we were there, a girl came to tell her that she wanted to continue her education, but her father and brother told her that she had to get married. Zubeda called on the father and brother and convinced them to allow the girl to go to college! Watching this story unfold was an enlightening experience for our students; most of them don’t really question whether or not they will be able to go to college.
One of the most poignant events on our trip was when we went to visit the girls’ homes. We divided into small groups of about 6 students from Eugene and 3-4 students from the school in Bangalore and traveled by foot, local city bus, and auto-rickshaw into the winding alleys and paths of the Muslim quarter to small houses and even smaller apartments where the girls lived with their families or relatives who had taken them in. The first home my group visited was an apartment no bigger than my bathroom, where a family of four lived. The parents slept on a twin bed and the two teenage children slept on a thin mat on the cement floor beside the bed in a space not wide enough for even one person. During the day, the bed was covered with the family’s belongings and household goods, and every inch of the wall was covered with hanging clothes or kitchen gear. It was hard to imagine where it all went when they cleared it off to sleep. When we arrived, the mother cleared the bed and put everything out on the open air landing, then invited all 10 of us to sit in the little room while she sent someone to find some CocaCola to offer us. We sat squished together in the room, uncomfortable in the small space and the ethical dilemma in which we were caught – feeling guilty about the money spent on the Coke, yet wanting to be polite and accept her hospitality. When the soda arrived, we insisted on sharing one or two, and chatted with the mother through her daughter’s translation before continuing to the next home visit. We were quiet now, as we walked for what seemed like forever, to the next house. We followed the girl whose house we were going to next, barely keeping up with her excited pace. The narrow path wound in and out through the quarter for so long and was so convoluted that we felt like we were in a maze. We managed to get around the cows we encountered and to cross the boards across open sewers, and finally arrived at the next apartment. This time, there was no one home, but the girl ran ahead of us and called out to a neighbor who opened the door for us. At first we were confused and thought this was the girl’s mother. Then we came to understand that Resma’s mother was at work as a maid in someone’s home and the neighbor was just standing in as an adult for Resma, helping to provide the hospitality. As we asked confused questions and tried to figure the story out, Resma had run to the back of the apartment and made arrangements for the ubiquitous serving of CocaCola. By this time, we had finally understood that Resma’s father had died and the mother worked day and night to support her two kids, Resma and a younger brother. We felt even more horrible drinking their Coca Cola, but Resma’s eyes were shining with pride at receiving us in her home; having the American visitors come to HER house. We couldn’t refuse her sweet gesture and wanted to honor it by accepting her offer of Coke. By now, the reality of the desperate poverty of the girl’s lives had sunk in, and we were humbled by the simple circumstances of their lives and yet the kind hospitality that was offered at each home. Everywhere we went, neighbors would come running with chairs for the visitors, curious and interested in what brings us to the girls’ homes, wondering what we thought of India, of the war, whether we really hate Muslims in America, and on and on with questions and conversations punctuated by offers of soft drinks.
After two weeks at the school, we had settled into a comfortable rhythm – leisurely breakfasts of Chai and Idli, spending time on projects or practicing English with the girls, helping Zubeda with tasks around the school. In the afternoon, the Indian girls would return to their classes and we would be off to round up enough “auto-rickshaws” to take all 21 of us to our destination. We hadn’t expected to love Bangalore so much. It is a very big city and the High-Tech capital of India where all the call centers are supposedly located.
It was hard to say goodbye to our friends in Bangalore, but we were excited to continue on the rest of our journey. Hearing the stories of the school girls who would be getting married so young was discouraging for our girls, while visiting their homes in the poor neighborhoods around the school gave them a new perspective on what a teenager “needs” to have in the world.
For me, this trip was, most of all, a reminder that the whole world is not operating at the breakneck speed that we so seem to cherish here in the U.S.A..
-Jennifer
Students
Corina Allender, Junior, South Eugene High School
Traveling to India last summer, to the Najmus-sahar girls school, I learned about the power of connection. Through dance, song, and art we were able to forge friendships, despite our foreign cultures. Soon our differences faded away though, as our similarities became more apparent. I realized that although we may live across an ocean, we are all connected. My experience at the school taught me that with a little nurturing, that “connection” can grow into something more.
Sarah Fischer, Junior, Sheldon High School
Going to the school in Bangalore was an eye opening experience. From the comforts of home we often hear of children in far off lands unable to get an eduction due to extreme poverty. Being able to experience the school first hand showed just how much of a difference a few dollars donation can make. These bright, capable, energetic girls now have a place to learn and grow that they would never be able to experience otherwise. They take not one moment for granted and are truly appreciative of the opportunities made available to them.
