Story of a Slum Kid: Shimu Wants to Be A Doctor

Plentiful people are drifting to Dhaka daily from the southern part (coastal area) of Bangladesh for a better living. Barisal, Bhola, and Patuakhali are the most vulnerable districts in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Every year people from coastal areas are tattered with floods and river erosion. They are losing their livelihoods affected by natural disasters.

Shimu a 13-year-old girl is currently attending fifth grade at Chalantika Slum Children Development Project (CSCDP). Shimu’s parents migrated to Dhaka from Bhola nine years ago when she was three. They came to Dhaka for an improved livelihood.

“My mother had to struggle a lot to find a job in Dhaka. She got a job in a garment factory. My father doesn’t do anything for living. He is addicted to drugs and frequently quarrels with my mother. My mother has to work hard to maintain our family with her little income. She earns BDT 7,000 monthly and it’s become hard for her to arrange three meals a day,” Shimu was unfolding her challenges.

Shimu’s mother admitted her elder brother to Islamia Government Primary School. But it was difficult for her to bear their educational expenses of Shimu. In this regard, she was searching for a way to educate her daughter. In the meantime, the Islamia school authority helps her by finding ADRA Bangladesh and its schooling project CSCDP.

“I got admitted to ADRA CSCDP center as they offer free education for the children. Unless we came to know about the CSCDP center, I couldn’t be able to continue my education as my mother couldn’t afford my educational expenses.” Shimu added, “I like the CSCDP center a lot as it has a nice environment for education. They provide us with educational materials and nutritious meals. I like the way the teachers teach us. I’ve learned a lot of new things from the CSCDP center. I’ve learned how to maintain hygiene at home, and respect the elders and teachers.”

Shimu gets influenced by the teacher and she wants to be a doctor in the future. She wants to help people with treatment and be a good human being.

“I want to be a doctor in the future and I want to help poor people. I don’t know how I can continue my education in the future as my parents are poor and they don’t have the ability to support my educational expenses. I want to be a good doctor so that I can take care of my family and can treat the poor people who are not able to get proper treatment,” Shimu was describing having anxiety in her eyes.

Shimu helps her mother to maintain the household chores. She can do all the housework on her own. She can draw pictures. She would like to help her friends in terms of preparing their home works.

“Shimu is a very mature girl. She is polite and humble. We wish her a bright future,” said Shilpi a teacher at the CSCDP center.