I am the oldest out of all my siblings. My father is a laborer and with limited financial resources and being a girl, I have always felt like a burden on my family. Belonging to a small village (Mehray Wala) in the district of Muzaffargarh, Pakistan, I have always seen that the needs of men are always given preference; their aspirations, their dreams. Any aspirations a woman might have are overlooked. This perspective is a normal in our village. 

With Covid-19 further restricting movement, the last few months were not easy. Sitting at home, doing nothing and feeling like a burden, was difficult. 

Last month, I got enrolled in a training course on Kitchen Gardening. I have always liked gardening and the care and patience it takes to grow something but now I get to learn the details of the trade. My favorite part of the process is watching how various fruits and flowers grow after planting seeds and the patience necessary to take care of them for the best output. This new undertaking has allowed me to look at things differently. I get to work in the outdoors and have a purpose to move towards. Not only does one get to see pretty things grow but the same output can also become a source of generating income. 

There is little change in my home life, but what has changed is my outlook. I know I would be able to make something of myself just by applying the skills that I learn. One day I aspire to open a canteen that provides eateries made form fresh fruits and vegetables that I grow, and I will continue to strive towards making that dream a reality.