«Le savoir est un pouvoir»

Suman Bhatnagar, (*1946), enseignante au niveau secondaire et formatrice, aujourd’hui à la retraite. Elle a travaillé pour l’UNICEF en Inde depuis 1987, avant tout dans le développement des écoles. C’est elle qui est à l’origine des programmes scolaires destinés aux filles, soutenus par l’UNICEF dans l’ Uttar Pradesh et le Rajastan, qui ont débouché sur une initiative nationale en faveur de la formation.

You have devoted your entire live to girls, especially to their education. Why?
I strongly consider education empowers individuals. Education is an important and core tool to prepare individuals for better life. The girls are generally the disadvantaged lot due to social and economic reasons and that is why girls’ education assumes significance and importance for us. Going to school provides girls an opportunity to develop their potential to its fullest. It helps them to attain necessary knowledge and skills for a healthy and prosperous life. Economic independence ensures them a secure life. Knowledge is power. I feel building on individual competence and exploration couple with the life around girls is the key to their success.

May I ask you about your own memories of being a school girl in India?
I cherish the memories of my schools days as the best and wonderful time in life. It was the only government higher secondary school in a small town Port Blair, Andaman Islands in India during 1955-1962. I remember the play grounds, laboratories, and spacious classrooms and beautiful school environment facing the sea shore. The affectionate and wonderful teachers were always available to help us. I thoroughly enjoyed learning, sports, and life skills which helped in shaping my attitude, and ideas towards life.

Which projects could you realize thanks to UNICEF’s support?
Guinea worm eradication project in Rajasthan supported by SIDA (Swedish International development Agency) of which I was a part is one of the goals UNICEF is proud to achieve. Today India is free from this deadly disease. UNICEF is supporting elementary education with special thrust on girl quality education which is not only important but provides the basis for human development. Government of India in collaboration with state governments, donor countries like Swiss national committee, UK national committee and international agencies has accorded highest priority to the education sector especially elementary education.

Please describe the form of cooperation you have had for many years with UNICEF.
I strongly believe that team work could make a difference. As UNICEF staff we tried to engage community, who is the principal stake holder through school mapping, village contact drive, to get all children especially girls in schools. Secondly teachers who are the pivot of any educational initiative were brought in through Uttar Pradesh Primary Teachers Association with a membership of 300000 +teachers through capacity building and teacher motivation programs. For school improvement program, education department sought convergence with other departments- water, sanitation, Panchayati Raj and Integrated child Development to ensure better facilities for higher attendance and quality learning in schools.

Where did you take the strength from for the enormous work you did?
The source of my strength was those innocent girls with beaming smiles who were keen and anxious to come out of their homes and daily household chores to join schools in Barabanki and Lalitpur districts. They were intelligent and good at household, agriculture work. It was found that mostly their parents were eager too for the education of their daughters, but were not ready to send them to other villages for schooling. This situation moved me to do something urgently and amicable for educating these young energetic girls.

What would you like to give UNICEF Switzerland for its 50th birthday?
I am grateful to UNICEF Switzerland for its continuous support to girls quality education initiative in Uttar Pradesh which has bought tremendous change in the lives of thousand of girls. I convey heartfelt thanks to SWISS NATCOM from all of us in Uttar Pradesh.