Extraordinary Mothers: Refusing to give up on education
Motherhood is not easy and for some the situation they face in their everyday lives makes it incredibly difficult. At Embrace, we are privileged to hear stories of the incredible bravery, resilience and resourcefulness of women who (with a little bit of help from the projects we support) have overcome the odds and built safer, better lives for themselves and their families.
In the weeks leading up to Mothering Sunday, we’ll be sharing some of these inspiring stories with you. This week, we meet Auset.
AUSET’S STORY
Like many women in rural Egypt, gender discrimination meant Auset was not able to access adequate education as a child. This left her isolated, limited in what she could do and struggling against inequality. Determined to overcome these barriers, she attended the Life School Project, supported by Embrace, which provides literacy, arithmetic and vocational classes for women.
“My husband didn’t want me to go to the life school and told me, ‘You didn’t learn at your father’s house, and now you are learning at mine!’ But I insisted on learning.
“Now I’ve learnt to read, write, and count. My husband, after seeing the change in me, is now the one who wakes me up to get to school!
“I can read the medicine prescription before giving it to my son (before I gave him the wrong medicine!), and I am able to help him in his study. I want to educate my son better than me. I’m planning on starting a small business, baking and selling pancakes, to help my husband and son.”
MEET MORE EXTRAORDINARY MOTHERS
EXTRAORDINARY MOTHERS: PROTECTING
EXTRAORDINARY MOTHERS: BUILDING A BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH
EGYPT PROJECTS & PARTNERS
Embrace supports a range of education, women’s empowerment and disability services in Egypt.