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Sector: Literacy
“One roti (circular bread) on top of another
roti makes an 8” says Durga, CORD’s Literacy
program teacher. The methods used to teach
rural women how to read and write are very
simple. With the shape of a roti and a stick,
Durga is able to teach women numbers, letters,
words, and how to sign their names. Most of the
women who attend literacy classes are over the
age of 40; these women grew up during a time
when education was not emphasized for females.
Although their family members tell them they are
too old to learn how to read and write, they pay
no attention and continue to come to CORD each
week for class. Like the women, Durga has
received very little education and has only
completed the fifth standard. However, she still
strongly believes that women can learn at any
age even with little or no formal schooling.
Each woman who attends the class has a different
reason for becoming literate.
 Savitri
Devi started coming to CORD after an
embarrassing episode with a shopkeeper. As she
was running her daily errands she stepped into
her local general store to buy incense. The
shopkeeper asked her for one rupee and 50 paise
for her purchase. Savitri Devi gave the
shopkeeper a five rupee bill and started to
figure out in her head how much money she should
get back. Despite the fact that she was
illiterate she was confident in her counting
skills. So when the shopkeeper gave her back
three rupees and 50 paise, Savitri Devi politely
told him that he had made a mistake. The
confused shopkeeper counted the money again and
told her he had given her the right amount. Now
she counted the money again, and this time
yelled at him for trying to cheat her. He was
shocked by her behavior and said that she was
the one who had made the mistake. After some
arguing, the shopkeeper gave Savitri Devi five
rupees in coins and made her pay again. When
Savitri Devi went to give him the proper amount
she realized her mistake. She was embarrassed by
the situation and apologized to the shopkeeper
for accusing him of cheating her. When she went
home and told the story to her kids, they
scolded her for not knowing how to count or read
properly. Savitri realized the importance of
being literate and started attending CORD’s
literacy classes.
As she started taking classes, she wanted to
excel in her studies. After weekly meetings, she
realized that she needed more practice. However,
there was no one in her home that could help
her. Savitri Devi then had the brilliant idea of
getting the help of small children who were
learning some of the same material as she was.
One day, she decided to approach a small group
of children who were playing. She cleverly
brought along some sweets and offered them to
the children. In return, she asked for their
help. The children were very eager to help
someone older than them and willingly went to
Savitri Devi’s house to help her read and w rite.
This method worked like magic and soon Savitri
was able to progress quickly in her studies.
Like Savitri Devi, Janki Devi had her own
reasons for wanting to become literate. Janki
Devi’s eyes overflowed with tears when her son
went off to the army. She reminisced about all
the years they had together and was worried
about his safety. Janki Devi waited for her
son’s call but often he was i n
a region too remote to be able to call her. He
wrote to this mother weekly but Janki Devi could
never read her son’s letters because she was
illiterate. She would often take the letters to
her neighbor so he could read them to her. Janki
Devi wanted to write to her son but she was
limited by her illiteracy. One day, she decided
it was time for her to learn how to read and
write so she came to CORD. Despite the fact she
was 78 years old, Janki Devi never felt she was
too old to learn. Janki Devi comes to CORD
regularly and, with the help of Durga, is now
able to read her son’s letters and respond to
them.
CORD’s Literacy program has enabled numerous
women like Savitri and Janki Devi to become
literate. It has taken a functional approach so
that the women learn to incorporate their
literacy skills in their everyday lives such as
reading bus signs, dialing telephone numbers,
keeping basic accounts and records of their
livelihood, and learning how to sign their name.
It has also allowed young women in remote,
inaccessible villages to learn how to read and
write. Becoming literate is important because it
heightens social awareness, enhances confidence,
and increases the likelihood of children
becoming educated. As of the last census, 46% of
India’s women are illiterate making them
dependent on others and a part of a marginalized
group. However, becoming literate has enabled
women to empower themselves and be writers of
their own fate.
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