Vocational Training and Character Formation

In the village of Roushan, as the grain in the nearby fields started to grow,  25 women gathered to enroll in a Shining Light Adult Literacy Center. They started to meet each afternoon to learn to read and write. Their daughters attend school – the first generation of girls in this community to be encouraged to do so. Now, these women are students too, and they are eager to make up for lost time. Through regular village visits, strong bonds were quickly built between our field staff, community leaders and this group of determined women. 

Through the summer, extreme rainfall resulted in flash floods throughout the region. Half of the village of Roushan was destroyed one night by a landslide. The home where the women gathered to study the Urdu alphabet was flooded and their books and teaching supplies were lost. The Adult Literacy Center was put on hold as the community took stock of what was left and made plans to rebuild.  

Our field team worked with community leaders to help assess needs and in December, delivered housewarming kits to the 25 women from the class and their families that included warm bedding, mattresses and a heating stove. Literacy is often bigger than just learning to read and write. In Roushan, it’s led to deep connections and trust, and opportunities for restored community and hope.