Meet Samira, a student currently attending college in Char Borobila. In spite of living 3.5 kilometres from the college, Samira perseveres with the support of her loving family, choosing to walk the whole way or pay 30 Taka a day for local transport.
But education wasn’t always something that felt within grasp for Samira. She, like many girls in her community, faced pervasive poverty which put her at risk of child marriage.
Growing up, she struggled. Her mother wasn’t home leaving her aunt Kanchan to raise her. And in spite of there being eight primary schools for kids to attend, it was a challenge to get to class. With her family dealing with a lack of safe drinking water, poor sanitation, and frequent illnesses, it was easy to see why they place going to school on the back burner.
"We inhabit an area where girls are often married off at an early age, and their education is not prioritized. Negative messages about girls' education and status are prevalent. However, I believe that one day this scenario will change."— Samira
Thanks to the generosity of many Canadians, Samira's aunt and grandmother had the opportunity to join an FH-organized savings group in 2012. Through training from FH, Kanchan was able to support the family by raising hens and goats. She was also able to further increase their income by selling livestock to their neighbours. Despite having no farmland, they were able to make it work!
Samira's family! Including her younger brother, Aunt, and Grandparents.
Previously, Samira's family wasn't able to prioritize her education. When facing so much hardship, child mirage often seemed like the best option to support Samira long term. Thankfully, through FH’s intervention Aunt Kanchan was able was able to receive lessons on gender equality which helped them understand the detrimental effects child marriage has on young girls as well as how education can empower them to thrive!
In 2014 Samira became a sponsor child and was very involved in FH activities that promoted strong values and health education. She also received school supplies like notebooks, pencils, and school bags.
Thanks to her family's stable income and support from her sponsor, Samira's education was finally being prioritized.
With encouragement and financial support from her aunt and grandmother, Samira has been able to be resilient towards the societal pressures that frequently lead to child marriage. Her active participation in the sponsorship program also helped her overcome her fears and strengthen her spirituality.
Through your crucial support of FH’s work in Bangladesh, Samira and her family have come to deeply appreciate the value of education, marking a major change from a state of being bound by poverty to one of freedom. Both her grandmother and aunt are now fully committed to supporting Samira’s education, showing genuine interest about her finishing her studies.
Now, Samira is eager to share her experience and insights with friends and neighbours.
“I want to see my family and community free from child marriage. Every girl should complete their education.” — Samira