From Empowerment to Emancipation

Seven year old Seema was all ears at the child abuse awareness class conducted by our ‘Success for Success’(S4S) team (Our team which provides life skill and child rights awareness for students, school teachers, parents and other stake holders). Immediately after the class Seema came running to one of our team members and told her about the ‘bad’ dealing of her father towards her often after drinking. She herself said that she knows what to do the next time when it happened.

On our next visit to the school Seeema was found to be very happy and serene. We quizzed her about her home situation. Seema explained to us that when her father made advances towards her she asked him to keep off and told him that she would inform the police and CHILDLINE if he tried ‘bad things’ on her. Her father got a shock of his life and he even stopped drinking!

The experience of Seema was indeed a boost for our team. We could behold the effect of empowerment leading to emancipation. All the children in our schools across Kerala require integral education covering all aspects of life. Life skills are as important as daily lessons. A bookish learning can inform but not educate. Education is bringing out the potentialities of a child to cope with life. Education should empower and emancipate.