Mazida lives in an iron-sheet hutment at the corner of a street frequented by drug dealers. She’s mother to Rehan, Eram and Ayat, and every time her children step into the streets of their slum community, she has her eyes peeled for their safety. She herself hardly ventured out until one sultry afternoon in April 2017 when our community worker stepped into their home, and Mazida had a conversation that changed her life forever.
Mazida opened up to Vision Rescue about her history – about how she had dropped out of school in class 7, married a man from her neighbourhood a few years later, settled into an unsafe slum community north of Mumbai, had three children in quick succession and ended up in a life where she was too poor to educate her children and couldn’t see a way out because she barely had an education herself.
She then couldn’t believe her ears when she heard about our learning centre right in the heart of their slum community that would gift her daughter Eram with quality primary education for free and even train her in vocational skills so that she could earn a living!
Mazida jumped at the chance – little Eram joined our nursery and Mazida came to our tailoring class with her baby Ayat on her hip.
Mazida jumped at the chance – little Eram joined our nursery and Mazida came to our tailoring class with her baby Ayat on her hip.
In six months, Mazida graduated with flying colours, and little Eram blossomed in class. While Eram loves singing poems and wants to become a doctor, Mazida has big dreams of her own now.
She works as a tailor, earns to support her oldest child Rahat’s education in a formal school, and is now learning bracelet-making at our community centre.
Mazida is also now secretary of our Self Help Group for graduates from our vocational training courses. In this role, she leads a group of women who earn from their new-found skills, save their profits at a bank and collectively complete multiple income-generating projects for their Group.
“Earlier I used to always tell myself that I can do nothing to improve things for my children, but today I have so much confidence and belief in myself!” says Mazida.
From a drop-out to a leader in her community – it is your precious donations that have empowered Mazida to change her world.
Today, Mazida is a ‘Community Champion’ in her locality, telling other women about the power of education for them and their children. She can’t wait to see other lives transformed just the way you have transformed hers!
