Story of A Slum Kid: Hope for a Better Tomorrow
Chalantika is a lively slum situated in the heart of the bustling city. The people who lived there barely scraped by on their meager incomes. Yet, they found a way to make it through each day together. Amongst them, was a young child named Khadija, who was barely eight years old.
Khadija lives with her parents in a slum, that lacks all the basic amenities. Their house is made of bamboo with a CI sheet roof. The rooms are very tiny in the slum. They are unable to get safe drinking water disrupts their daily life. They have to share their kitchen with other families. They suffer a lot due to the lack of a garbage management system. People throw garbage everywhere in the Chalantika slum causing odor. This is the real scenario of the Chalantika slum in Dhaka.
Father of Khadija Md. Kamal Hossain is a rickshaw puller, and her mother, Bibi Rashida, is a housemaid. Despite their financial struggles, Khadija and her family were content with their simplistic lifestyle. Her parents are determined to educate their children.
One day, the representatives from the Chalantika Slum Children Development Project (CSCDP) of ADRA Bangladesh visited their slum in search of children who were not attending school. They were shocked to find that many children in the area were missing the opportunity of getting primary education.
Determined to make a change in their lives, the representative of CSCDP began to explain to Khadija's parents the value of education. Soon, they realized the future of their daughter was at stake. They willingly agreed to send her to school.
Khadija started to go to school dressed in her new uniform, a school bag on his back, and the dream of a brighter future in her heart.
ADRA Bangladesh offers free educational materials such as school uniforms, shoes, books, and pencils for vulnerable children. Apart from this, ADRA Bangladesh provides nutritious meals for children to ensure a healthy life.
Khadija is intelligent and attentive to her studies. She took 7th position in the final examination of grade One. During her leisure time, she loves to draw pictures and coloring. She helps her mother with household chores, like pouring water into jugs and bottles from the water tap, looking after her younger brother, folding clothes after drying, and helping the mother cook.
“I want to be a teacher in the future and help poor students who cannot get quality education due to financial crisis. I want to make my family financially stable. I want to live in a better place than the slum. I want to make their family happy,” said Khadija.
CSCDP center impacted the life of Khadija and fetches out behavioral changes such as washing her hands before taking meals and after using the toilet, brush teeth two times a day, coming to school on time, drinking safe boiled water at home, conveying greetings and respect the elders and teachers.
Today, Khadija stands as an inspiration to those around her. Her living proof is that no matter how difficult life may seem, there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
