Fatima
(Karail Bowbazar, Dhaka)
Fatima is the eldest of three sisters and carries quite a few responsibilities far beyond her age. Her father earns a living by selling street snacks. His income has always been uncertain; some days it is enough, and other days it barely covers food. Fatima’s mother suffers from a serious liver condition and requires ongoing medical treatment. The cost of her treatment places an additional burden on the family. With her father’s limited and unpredictable earnings, managing household expenses, the education of Fatima and her sisters, and her mother’s medical costs has been extremely difficult. Recently, a devastating fire destroyed all of her father’s food cart equipment and supplies. As a result, he currently has no source of income at all. The family has been forced to take shelter at Fatima’s maternal grandfather’s home. Due to severe financial hardship, they are now unable to buy her mother’s necessary medicines, and all of her medical reports were also lost in the fire. In this fragile situation, a sponsorship for Fatima would be a lifeline. It would help ensure that her education can continue and would ease some of the immense pressure on her family, providing much-needed support, stability, and hope during this extremely difficult time.