She started her studies, but could not finish them. She got married in childhood. But she was not rid of financial crisis even in her in-laws. But Sharifa did not step back. She became a graduate while managing a sick husband, family, children everything. Taking lessons from her life struggle, she has built three schools for drop-out students and child laborers. Most of her students have passed B.A. Few of them are doing jobs.
Wherever she gets the news of child marriage, she rushes to the place. With the help of the administration, she stops child marriage. As an acknowledgment of her activities, she has been given the “Greatest Joyeeta” honor by “Bangladesh in search of Joyeeta” project in Rajshahi district.
Boro Choyghoti village under Bagha Upazila is the home of Sharifa. Her husband, Mohsin Ali, by profession, is a deed writer. Her elder daughter Jannatul Mawa, having completed her studies at the Kushtia Medical Assistant Training Centre, is now doing internee at Comilla General Hospital. Her younger daughter is studying higher secondary at a local college in Bagha Upazila. Her only son Imamul Mursalin studies in the nursery. It was 1990. Sharifa’s SSC examination result was not yet published. Her father, a poor farmer, got Sharifa Khatun married. Her husband was unemployed at that time. Though her study was temporarily stopped, she did not give up her hope. She eventually passed B.A. from Open University fourteen years after her marriage. She is always struck by the pain that she could not get her life fulfilled the way she wanted it. She noticed that the neighboring kids were getting dropped out from school due to poverty and were forced to live the life of a wage earner.
Since 1995, she has been working for these children. Sharifa also realized the need for the removal of adult illiteracy from society. For this reason, she also took up the responsibility of educating the illiterate adults in her neighborhood. With the cooperation of BRAC, she establishes three schools- two in Boro Choyghoti village and one in Hijalpolli village- for school drop-out children.
On February 28, we found Sharifa at the Boro Choyghoti village. She was at the center of a group of village children who stood in a circle around her. She was teaching them something from a book. Abdur Razzak, a watchman of the village, has donated this land for the school. He said that Sharifa had taken the initiative of establishing this school. She taught at the school herself for few days, before leaving the job to another teacher, but she still takes care of the school.
Sharifa lives in a one-storied tin-shed building. Her husband got the front part of one of his feet cut off due to soreness. Sharifa said that she had lost almost everything on the treatment of her husband. Finding no other way, she directly met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her husband’s treatment. Sheikh Hasina donated one lakh taka. With this money, she could save her husband’s leg.
Chameli Khatun, the mother of one of her students Mita, came while we were talking. She said that her daughter had passed B. A. taking primary education from Sharifa. Now, she is doing a job.
Village farmer Mazdar Rahman was getting her daughter married while she was studying in class eight. Getting the news, Sharifa rushed to the place and convinced him to call off the marriage. That girl is now studying to earn her Bachelor’s degree.
She has become a member of the community police to stop violence against women. At present, she along with 60 other women of her area has made the “Independence Women Welfare Organization” that will work for women.
Sharifa is now working to remove obstacles from others’ lives, something she has already overcome in her own life.
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