Child Laborer Fatima's Struggle

Fatima Sultana, along with her parents and two younger siblings, resides in Shankarpur (Chopdarpara) under the Jashore Municipality. Fatima's father is a mason's helper, and her mother is a homemaker. The family barely managed to make ends meet with her father's sole income. When Fatima was in the 5th grade, her father fell critically ill, and he became bedridden. The family's only earning member was unable to work. Her mother had to stay home to care for her father and help him with his daily activities. With all sources of income cut off, Fatima's life took a dark turn.

As the eldest child, Fatima was forced to drop out of school and start working at a commercial institution called "Halal Food Services". Here, she had helped to prepare and package coconut oil, as well as pack spices and apply stickers to the packages. The spice powder often got into her eyes and mouth, causing irritation. The intense heat inside the factory made it difficult to breathe. Fatima hated this arduous task. She longed to wear school uniform, carry her school bag, and go to school.

One day, an ARKTF worker met Fatima at her workplace. Fatima shared her family's financial situation and her desire to continue her studies. The ARKTF worker discussed Fatima's case with the higher authorities and, with the help of social worker Farida Khatun, arranged for free tailoring training for Fatima's mother at an institution called "Sathi Boutiques". After successfully completing her tailoring training, Fatima's mother started working from home. Meanwhile, ARKTF arranged for free treatment for Fatima's father at a local government hospital. With the help of proper medical treatment, Fatima's father recovered and started working again. With the combined income of her parents, the family's financial situation improved. ARKTF then rescued Fatima from her difficult job and enrolled her in the 6th grade at Shankarpur High School, providing her with a school uniform, bag, shoes, and socks.

Wearing her new school uniform, shoes, and socks, and carrying her new school bag, Fatima felt overwhelmed with emotion on her first day of school. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. Fatima vowed, "No matter what obstacles come my way, I will continue my studies and become a successful and good person to make everyone proud."