Nari Jibon - Training Programs

Training Programs
Nari Jibon serves a diverse group of women and girls ranging from Bengali medium students with some English skills to women with limited literacy in Bangla and little or no education. Over the past three years, we have continually evaluated our programs and aligned them with the needs of the women and their families that we serve. We currently offer two tracks.

Our largest track-- English/Computer Track-gives girls and women an opportunity to learn to read, write, and speak in office level English or improve existing English skills. Currently we offer two levels of English as well as a spoken class. Volunteers from around the world also spend time with students to improve their speaking and comprehension.

We welcome English-speaking volunteers working and living in Bangladesh, college students and researchers from USA and other countries, who might like to spend volunteer or internship time at Nari Jibon. Our experienced staff can also help with research projects and logistics.

Over 34,000 readers from around the world have accessed the English blog since its inception in summer 2007. Since March 2008, 3,000 or more readers per month have read one or more pages on the blog. The Bangla blog has had fewer readers, but readers have grown steadily over time to 100 readers or more per month. Some Bangla posts have been translated into English and vice a versa. In July 2008 over 10 students opened their own blogs with a mixture of English and Bangla posts. Also, staff members have opened their own blogs.

In both sets of classes, students spend 2 hours per week in the women-only cyber café where they can practice their skills-assignments, browse the web, and/or work on their blogs. As part of their classes, students compose and revise their bio-data, (resumes), compose application letters, and revise-collect samples of their best work and skills for their portfolios. They can also complete an internship in English (teaching classes) and/or computers (teaching classes and working on computer lab). We will soon upload some portfolios (with some details removed to protect students' identity).

The Bangla/Tailoring Track is for women who are interested in obtaining tailoring skills, an occupation typically held by men. As Bangla literacy is a prerequisite, many women attend Bangla classes before beginning the tailoring course. Students learn up to 43 items or more, visit local tailoring shops, and may work in such shops or set up their own home-based businesses. Two students even established their own export business. Others have returned to garments factories where they have doubled their salaries with Bangla literacy and improved sewing-work skills.

All student graduates complete a portfolio of items that is documents by bio-data, a display, and photo of their work.

The tailoring master-teacher and students also run a small-scale tailoring shop. They take and prepare orders at reasonable prices and with excellent quality.

Concurrently, students can take Computing classes: basic, Microsoft office applications, Graphics applications, and Photography. Since summer 2007 and with funding from Rising/Global Voices, participation in the Nari Jibon English and Bangla blogsites have enabled students to hone their writing, reading, and photo skills. Some students have moved on to develop their own individual blogs. Several guest lecturers have spent time with students and working on their blogging and photography skills.