Reviving Hope for a Better Future

"We are living under difficult conditions and its hard for most of the villagers to earn a decent living", informed Naheed Akhtar, one of the 25 students at the IMC Literacy and Livelihood Center (LLC) at Nerbeerh, Union Council Parian District Mansehra, "but the IMC LLC have given us a new hope for the future and we are determined to make most of this opportunity". Nerbeerh is small hamlet, perched among the mountains, far from the main towns and roads. It is located along a stream which swells up during the rainy season cutting the area form the rest of the world. Due to its far off and difficult to access location, little support has reached Nerbeerh since the October 2005 earthquake.

Photo: Shoaib IMC / Pakistan

IMC, under its "Education and Livelihood Skill Development Program" established ten LLCs in Five earthquake affected Union Councils of District Mansehra. In the LLCs, IMC is providing literacy and livelihoods skills training to the vulnerable women from the area, benefiting 250 women and adolescents, and is linking the trainees to the local market so that they can independently sell the products they produce, ensuring a sustainable source of livelihood for themselves and their families. While establishing LLCs, IMC has chosen the areas which have received very little outside support since the earthquake due to various reasons including difficult to reach locations and distance from the main cities and towns.

Naheed Akhtar is taking care of her family including three children and a disabled husband who can’t walk. When asked about her view of the literacy and skills training being provided in the IMC LLCs, she said "When I heard about IMC’s program I was excited but I was reluctant

Photo: Shoaib IMC / Pakistan

to enroll in the LLC because I was not sure what would be the response of my community, and I am taking care of my children and husband so I thought I would not have the time to attend the classes, but I decided to enroll" she added with a determination in her voice "because none of us want to live under these terrible condition for ever, we all want to change our lives for the better, but without any skills or education, there is not much we can do".
"I am determined to educate my children so that they have a much better future, now that I am able to read and write thanks to IMC’s literacy program, I will be able to help my children in their studies", she added.

She is excited about her newly acquired skills in embroidery and tailoring and contacts established with the local market through IMC and is looking forward to supporting her family by utilizing these skills.

"Every student in this class is happy to have acquired new skills through the IMC LLC", added the literacy teacher of the Nerbeerh LLC "and they are now hopeful of a better future for their families and the coming generations".