Enabling Independence

Sallimuneisha Qureshi, 22 years old, shaken by the plight of her non-working married friends, decided to change her life, "Shaadi hone ke baad unki haalat bahut kharaab thi. Ladies ko izzat tabhi milti hai jab woh kissi per depend nakaren. Main aage badhna chahti hoon, itna seekhna chahti hoon ki mujhe naukri ki koi kami na rahe"(They were in bad condition after marriage. Women get respect only when they are independent. I want to progress, (I) want to learn so much that I never fall short of job opportunities). Her recipe for success was clear, "English aur computer aana toh bahut hee zaroori hai, iske bina aap kuch nahi kar sakte"(It is extremely important to know English and computers, without these you cannot do anything), but all the courses she enquired about were beyond her meager means. Coming from a family of 12 members, Sallimuneisha had already given up her dream of pursuing graduation because of financial problems.

It was a mixed inertia of her lost dreams that Sallimuneisha did not lose hope even after failing the entry test, at NIIT Foundation - Airport Authorities of India (NF-AAI) employability center. Reason was theaffordable course fee. Suddenly, her zero exposure to English Language seemed a manageable constraint to her. She attended demo classes out of eagerness and kept visiting the center to persuade them of her potential. "It was only her resolve to learn that convinced us to enroll her", says Ankit Aggarwal, her soft skills trainer, who struggles each day with Sallimuneisha in her battle for independence.She joined immediately and has shown improvement slowly but surely."Mere 'tenses' improve ho gaye hain. Ankit Sir itna detail main padhaate hainki, do saal baad bhi nahi bhoolega" (My 'tenses' have improved, Ankit Sir teaches in such detail that I will still remember everything two years after), says Sallimuneisha.She took up a job at a local tutorial earning 4500/-p.m. to support herself.She soon aspires to get a raise in salary, when she does; she hopes to resume her graduation.?Bahut improve karnahai, per mehnatkaregitohseekhheejayegi? (She has to improve a lot, but if she will work hard, she will sure learn), says Ankit, who has seen many of his students achieve their dreams at NF-AAI. Sallimuneisha is no exception