A text about Rachida, a Moroccan rural woman whose life was transformed by literacy classes. The story illustrates the power of education to lift rural women out of dependence and into entrepreneurship.
(1) Rachida was born in a rural Moroccan village, Ain Jdid, in 1973. She is married and has four children. Her husband is a seasonal agricultural worker who earns about 700 dhs per month when he works.
(2) When an aid organisation offered literacy classes in her village, Rachida immediately recognised that an excellent opportunity was suddenly offered to her. The class signaled a new beginning for Rachida. If she took classes, she would be able to read and write, add and subtract, and acquire skills that were always reserved for others. When she first learned how to write her name on a slate, and then on paper, she was overjoyed. Although Rachida and her classmates were laughed at by some villagers as they walked to school each day, they ignored them and were proud of their accomplishment.
(3) The course went a step beyond providing basic literacy training to the women of Ain Jdid. Those who performed the best on the final exam were also offered support in setting up a business — a farm animal cooperative. Armed with their newly acquired numeracy and literacy skills, and with technical assistance from the organisation, they started a successful business. Their example gave rural women a new image, that of independent female entrepreneurs who could manage their own businesses. They were no longer field workers.
(4) Rachida now buys and sells farm animals through the cooperative and earns enough income to support her family. More importantly, she can share the joy of learning with her school-aged children and help them with their homework. She is confident about the future. She says her new skills have given her more than just an income. "Through this programme, women have paved the way to a new life," she said.
(5) As a proof to the programme's success, now even some of the men in the village who had criticised Rachida and her classmates want to attend literacy classes.
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
The text shows how literacy is a tool of liberation. Without it, Rachida was a passive field worker. With it, she became an entrepreneur.
The "best title" question always tests whether you grasped the central message — not just one paragraph.
When the question says "in your own words", do NOT copy entire sentences from the text. Reformulate.
The Education unit often appears in National Exams (especially for Letters and Social Sciences streams). Master the vocabulary: literacy, illiteracy, schooling, dropout, awareness, sensitization, empowerment.