Samiya Rasheed (18 Year Old) Posted By Saif

I became a victim of early marriage at the age of 16. Just within a year, my first baby was born who was soon diagnosed with several health complications resulting from malnourishment. My husband is a rickshaw driver who does not earn enough to sustain the livelihood of the family.

Ever since I was a child, I dreamt of enrolling in school so I could learn to read and write and do something for my community. When I conveyed my desires to my husband, he immediately turned them down on the grounds that there would be no one to look after the baby. Thus, halting any hopes of schooling, I might have had.

To God’s blessings, my sister finally stepped in, who was ready to take care of our child in my absence.

Convincing my husband for this plan was not easy, but there was a lot more to gain from education than lose. Therefore, after countless disagreements, he permitted me to start schooling for the first time in my life.

I am now part of the Functional Literacy initiative, one of the strands of the Remedial Accelerated Learning program. Siyani Sahlein has provided me the opportunity to start schooling from the very start and dwell on the mission to fulfill my long-awaited dreams.


Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)