Tales from the Island of Serendip 4 4

[Flex Mentallo]

[Flex Mentallo]

[Flex Mentallo]

And even those who visit from abroad are taking note.

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Shahina was one of the NGO workers the students from Indiana met.

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[Flex Mentallo]

She is now being recognized for her vision and inspiration.

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I believe she will eventually gain the necessary influence to effect wider change.

[Straw-Man]

excellent. 

Edited January 13, 2018 by Straw-Man

[Flex Mentallo]

Ashrina Zurain

I was delighted to learn that Ashrina had been offered a scholarship. She has a luminous personality and regardless of her own difficulties lifts those around her. She takes joy in life. I have not attempted to polish up the translation.

[Flex Mentallo]

My name is Ashrina Zurain. I study in class viii.

I have my papa and a elder brother he studying in class 10.

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My father who work of eye glass cutting and I and my mummy also help him in this work.

We have one house and we are staying two families and this house is in the name of my uncle that's the reason why my father is working very hard to get a new own house.

[Flex Mentallo]

I like singing and dancing and I want to be a singer but my uncle is not ready to give permission in this he don't like this he also threat to my father if I do work on this so he will tell us to leave this house , sometimes my father discuss about this and try to tell me that don't do this but my mother is so supportive to me she said do what u want.

[Flex Mentallo]

I like very much to go in Roshni youth group centre because whatever event happen there I take part in that events. Once I got a chance to perform in a event that call PEHCHAN very big event that was in hall in that event I performed as a singer my parents also in that event to see that and they started crying and told me to go ahead I will not going to forbid you again and I'm so thankful to Shahina Api to giving this big opportunity to proven my self in front of many people specially my parents.

I'm getting scholarship from Roshni youth group centre I'm so thankful of Roshni group thank you so much.....

[Flex Mentallo]

Kaniz Fatima

Those who are really paying attention may notice that we have two scholars named Kaniz Fatima...

[Flex Mentallo]

My name is Kaniz Fatima I'm a student of class 7. My father is a cycle van rider. My mummy is a housewife. I have two brothers and two sisters, I have a 2 years younger brother and his brain treatment is going on. My mummy is so tense about him but my father can not do anything for him, I feel very hurt about that. We are living in a small house. Mummy is always do care for 2 years old child that's why I have to do all work of my house.

[Flex Mentallo]

Before I began to go in Roshni youth group my brother went there and share with me about that and I like to hear that I started request to my mom I also want to go in Roshni youth group I got permission to go there. In Roshni youth group I knew about that we have right to get education we have right to play. My father always try to stop me to go to school because I had to do my house work but now I can convince him about my education if he can go to for education why I couldn't. I want to do study I want to be a great person. Now I go to play football practice every Sunday in Roshni youth group. I do enjoy there I feel very happy and now I want to be a Indian football player of women.

[Flex Mentallo]

My father don't like that I go outside from my house in fact my neighbors also try to distract my father mind try to make him anger by many ways like see what your girl is doing she will not get marry if she is going like this.

[Flex Mentallo]

But I want to study. I'm getting scholarship and now my mummy never say no to go for education and Roshni youth group. Alisha as a tuition teacher she teach me it's also in Roshni youth center and Shahina she always come to our house and try to convince my parents about study about my rights thanks to her who help me to be a successful girl, I'm on 1st step of my success and thank you so much those who are helping me to achieve all the things thank you.....

[Flex Mentallo]

So, that's 10 bios posted, and I have names and partial info on 6 more (ie text or photos but not yet both). Hopefully I'll have these soon, and Shahina is also working on a report of the past year. She's keen to get these done, but now that both Purnabha and Lucina are working away from Kolkata, I think she may struggle both with time and translation.

 

The resources raised here on these boards have been carefully used and should get Roshni through to the end of this financial year - ie 31st March. But by then we need to re-fund scholars, rent and project costs. I've been thinking all year about how to do this, and have plans for another annual sales thread fairly soon. I hope that fellow boardies will want to continue providing the fantastic support we saw last year. I'll post a link here when it is up and running - perhaps in the next month or so.

 

It is an interesting thing to me that having posted examples of the work of professional photographers over Christmas, that the simple snaps taken by Roshni volunteers of these scholars, their families and their tiny homes do not suffer by comparison. Instead, the absence of technical proficiency and artifice seem to me to make them all the more immediate, urgent, and moving.

 

So we enter a new year with many challenges to overcome, and I believe together we shall.

 

[Flex Mentallo]

The moment we feared

Yesterday over 200 angry men laid seige to Roshni, tore down their sign, and attempted to intimidate Shahina and Tahsina in their homes. It seems that someone had learned of an illegal child marriage planned for this coming weekend and informed Childline.

In turn, Childline notified the police, who rescued the girl from her family home.

The girl was Alfrin Sajjid, whose sister Ruksar was previously a member of Roshni. Alfrin is only 16 years of age. Her family assumed that Roshni had contacted Childline.

Ironically, Roshni knew nothing of it - but someone in the community had evidently been listening to Roshni's message these past few years and bravely acted.