Development Work, Illiteracy Discussed

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 2

Development Work, Illiteracy Discussed

Community development and increasing the world literacy rate were two of the main themes discussed by delegates to the triennial conference of the International Council of Women held in Teheran from May 14 to 25, said the national president of the New Zealand National Council of Women, Mrs D. Grant, who has just returned to Christchurch.

Planning the development of various aspects of community life would be one of the major undertakings of national councils throughout the world for the next three years, said Sirs Grant.

On the way home from the conference, Mrs Grant stopped in Bangkok and was shown through a community development centre, one of several established by the Thai N.C.W., where women and girls are given a thorough training in handicraft. The picture shows Mrs Grant (left) inspecting the work at the centre. The students work with cisal and banana leaves. They are taught to understand the properties of the fibres, their treatment and preparation for weaving, design and related subjects, how to use tools and other labour-saving devices.

Run in conjunction with the centre is a health centre and dental clinic. The equipment is supplied by the N.C.W. and the accommoda-

tion by the local government.

The centre also cares for about 70 children from three to their teens, while their mothers are at work. N.C.W. members teach them reading and writing. In addition the mothers are encouraged to bring their children to the clinic to learn about hygiene and nutrition.

“These centres are an attempt to prove that people in a community, although with different backgrounds, status and experience, can by working together, develop mutual understanding which in turn helps to raise the standards of the society in which they live,” said Mrs Grant Literacy School

While in Tehran, Mrs Grant with other delegates visited a literacy school. At the last conference three years ago in Washington, the Iranian delegates said Iran had 2 per cent literacy. Today this figure is said to be 60 per cent However, it is unlikely that the figure is correct as persons who have learned to sign their names are termed literate. The school catered for young and old, men and women. It had little equip-

ment and students had little encouragement compared with New Zealand conditions. Mrs Grant said it appeared that women were keener than men in learning to read and write. The Iranian equivalent of the N.C.W. was doing a good job in this field. The members went among the illiterate women and encouraged them to learn. “The first step is to make people want to better themselves and this is why women are better able to stimulate these illiterate women with a desire to learn than specialists sent from various agencies to help combat illiteracy,” said Mrs GrantThe conference did not reach a common agreement on the best methods of increasing literacy as each country has different conditions and each national council is helping in the ways that best suits its country. About 200 delegates from 50 countries attended. In spite of the heat and ill health of many of the delegates, conference sessions started often at 8 a.m. and went until 6.30 p.m.

Fresh fruit was one of the things Mrs Grant missed most. “I think it was a little early for fruit. There were oranges and we thought we would be safe eating them until we learned that vendors sometimes squirt water into them to make them swell. Dinner At Palace

Delegates were entertained at the Royal palace by Queen Farah. “The heat was dreadful and we had to wait a long time before she appeared. Then we were presented and finally the doors were opened for the dinner. The food was Iranian and it was magnificent”

Mrs Grant was most impressed by the splendour and beauty of the palace with its enamel work and mosaics and other objets d’art. She saw some of the crown jewels which are actually looked upon as a reserve bank. On her way home, Mrs Grant stopped in New Delhi where she had a brief interview with the Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, who expressed her gratitude for the aid New Zealand is sending to India-