Halima's Story
Halima Khatun, age 40, a widow from Mognipara village of Maungdaw thana under Akyab district in Myanmar. Her father, a day labor in Akyab and arranged her marriage with a day labor when she was 11. Husband had missed 04 years ago from Maungdaw, Halima’s had 04 children (02 daughter and 02 boys) of their 25 years conjugal life. Two daughter of them came with her and another 02 boy children are missing from Myanmar.
The youngest among two daughter one is living with Halima who is 16 and name is Rohima four years ago became married but unfortunately her husband had missed 03 years ago too. Now Halima Khatun and Rohima Khatun is living together.
Halima Khatun and her family members never went to school. She says education for Rohingya women mostly mean ability to read religious books in Arabic language. Virtually, the literacy rate among the Rohingya population is very low and much lower among the women.
In one day her husband goes for works to other family in the village and never he came back to herself house and still Halima doesn’t know the reason of missing her husband. In the same way had missed her daughter in law (Rohima’s husband) from Akyab in Myanmar.
Being asked about the reason behind such army crackdown Halima says, “Army and Rakhain's crackdown and atrocity against common people are nothing new in Myanmar, it is their choice”.
The day this interview was written up at Nayapara Refugee camp, it was about 07 months ago that the day Halima and her one daughter had crossed the Maungdaw border and entered Bangladesh. She says, “we had no family savings, we just left our home with a little money and whatever cloths we had on”.
During the journey, from border to this camp, she had stayed one day in Shahpori island, two day at Mochoni school field, and 09 days at Teknaf open place after that they got foods and shelter at ADRA’s Nayapara camp. She got following items under shelter kits from ADRA Bangladesh – Tarpaulin, Bamboo, tool kits and wire for built this shelter. She also got cooking items from Solidarities Int’l and Food items from WFP.
She is happy for getting relief support from various organisations to live in the camp, there is no other income from out sources. Halima Khatun and her daughter Rohima facing problems of less supply of safe water.
Halima and Rohima gave thanks to the Bangladesh Government and Bangladeshi host community to give scope here with safety as well as NGOs who are providing foods, shelter, treatment, and other facilities for health life. They are not interested to go back their home country in Myanmar.
