Empowering poor students with English to realise dreams

Using English as a tool to empower students, the annual personality development workshop at the IICC here is focusing especially on girls and those in madrassas.

In its seventh edition, the 40-day free workshop by the International Islamic Culture Centre's (IICC) Noble Education Foundation began May 17 and will conclude June 25.

A batch of 400 students, the maximum, is being coached by Munawar Zama, a corporate trainer from Hyderabad in personality development, and voice and accent training.

"The students are being trained in public speaking, correct pronunciation and accent in a way that instills confidence in them and develops their personality so they do not hesitate to talk in English," Zama told IANS.

"When we began in 2008, very few girls and madrassa students participated as their parents were apprehensive. But simple lessons like helping with household work, spending time with elders instead of watching TV along with the regular English classes were appreciated by especially the conservative parents," Zama said.

As a result, the numbers are constantly rising due to word of mouth publicity.

Zama informed that in the past six years, more than 3,500 college and school students from all over the country, particularly from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have been trained by him.

Many of these students are employed with multi-national companies.

IICC president Siraj Qureshi added a similar spurt is being witnessed in the number of students from non-Muslim background as well.

"There is definitely an awakening amongst the Muslims, especially the poor who are now realising English language can help them achieve their goals. This is why these workshops are immensely successful every year," he told IANS.

Qureshi added this year the number of non-Muslim students is 40 compared to just five in 2008.

For Kainat Zafar, an 11th standard student of Jamia Girls' Senior Secondary School in south Delhi, the workshop is playing an important role in boosting her confidence.

"I can already feel a change in my style of speaking as and writing and the workshop is not even over yet," she said.