The Modern Story strongly believes in the vital role of partnerships in the human development sector, and one of the local organizations we appreciate most, and whose work we had the pleasure of seeing, is Technology for the People (TFTP), an NGO founded by Mr. Rajen Varada in 2003. As I have mentioned in a couple of my previous posts, TFTP identifies young Muslim girls who dropped out of school and who are skilled at henna (mehendi) art and embroidery and teaches them the technique of animation, including utterly complex computer software like Photoshop, Flash and HTML. After undergoing a full-time, yearlong training, the girls graduate from the program with a professional certificate and a valuable hi-tech set of skills that are unique in their communities.

However, because of the conservative social norms that dominate their cultural milieu, their families do not allow them to accept work in the professional environment of the animation companies, and their ambition and skills are lost as they return to spending their entire day doing domestic chores within the confines of their own homes.

In comes The Modern Story. Recognizing the social importance of TFTP’s endeavors and identifying a clear potential for further development, TMS has joined forces with TFTP and will be training the young girls in digital storytelling (photography, filmmaking, editing, and more) in addition to the multimedia skills they already have. After the rigorous training is finished, the girls will get the chance to apply what they have learned and teach digital storytelling in government schools, alongside the more experienced TMS fellows. This way, they can earn an independent income from a highly respectable and enriching job, while continuing to learn and to develop this unique set of skills.

We are extremely excited about this collaboration, and we believe that, beyond their technical and pedagogical abilities, these young girls would make excellent role models for our government school students. Their hunger for learning is so inspirational, and their desire to improve themselves and enhance their knowledge is proof that circumstances alone do not determine one’s path in life. If they could instill into our students even half of the drive, spirit and determination that they have, I would be content in knowing that we have changed these schoolchildren’s paths forever.