Sajida was born in one of Mumbai’s largest and fastest-growing slum communities. A life of hustling with poverty is all that she has known since birth. So, when you enabled us to open our first learning centre inside her slum community, you opened Sajida’s mind to worlds she had never dreamt of before. Back in 2016, Sajida was one of the first students to join our junior kindergarten and she was one of our most enthusiastic kids to class every morning.
In 2017 though, Sajida’s home and belongings were destroyed by monsoon floods. The family, along with most of their neighbours, watched their meagre assets washed away by flood waters.
That’s when supporters like you from across the world, stepped in to rescue Sajida and her community. Your gifts provided tarpaulins, food grains, utensils, clothes and books – enough to get her family back on their feet.
Life returned to normal, Sajida came back to class and went on to complete two years at our centre. She was then ready for formal school. Your gifts enabled us to enroll her into one, and today, she’s proud to go to class every morning and chase her dreams!
Sajida’s younger sister Rashida is now following in her footsteps. She’s studying in our junior kindergarten, and can’t wait to join her sister next year at the same formal school! She loves sports and she won a gold medal in one of the races at our Sports Day last year. The highlight of her school life was when she got to sing ‘Jingle Bells’ all by herself on stage at last year’s Christmas celebration!
Today Rashida says she wants to become a teacher when she grows up.
Your gifts have empowered Rashida and Sajida’s mother Nasima as well. She completed our vocational training course in mehndi design and is now skilled to take orders at weddings.
Early this year, Nasima attended a tobacco awareness camp at our community centre. She was so taken aback by what she learnt, that she immediately gave up her habit of chewing paan (tobacco wrapped in betel leaves) and even attended our cancer detection camp to ensure that she was unaffected.
Thank You for reaching out to this family and equipping them to live a life of dignity and hope!
