Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

`Amma Badi' to educate mothers

Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA: Thirty one-year-old Safoora Begum cannot stop smiling, thanks to her enrolment in Amma Badi (Mother's School), a unique educational drive aimed at helping mothers groom themselves as literates. Though as a child she never went to school, she is now able to write her name and address.

"I can also read the wordings on the huge hoardings, names of places on buses and the news scrolling on the television channels," she says excitedly, explaining how amused her husband is with her new identity.

The objective

Launched simultaneously in 500-odd centres across the State by the Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM), a local NGO, in coordination with its other partners in various districts, the programme mainly aims at making mothers knowledgeable.

"Through Amma Badi, we want women in slum habitations to be well-informed and equip themselves with minimum knowledge required to run her household judiciously," says Chennupati Vidya, president of the VMM.

"Community involvement is the high point of this programme.

The best part is that even old women are coming forward to learn how to read and write," says B. Keerthi, technical support manager of the VMM.

Mothers need to learn to monitor the academic performance of their children and help them improve in their weak areas. "Initially we are teaching them to write their names and addresses and things like vegetables, household goods and numbers.

The two Amma Badi centres in VAMBAY Colony and Kandrika are drawing good response with women in the surrounding areas attending classes with enthusiasm in batches.

In addition to 100 centres across Krishna district, the VMM has opened 200 centres at Vizianagaram, 25 at Eluru, 10 at Visakhapatnam, 25 at Tenali and suburbs, five at Srikalahasti and 50 at Chirala in Prakasam district.

"These are not merely literacy centres but they are knowledge-building temples that will equip the women with traits like self-respect and dignity," says Ms. Vidya.

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