A Dream Come True through Choosing to Challenge
By Nuzaba Tasannum
Jamila was only 15 when she was married off to 35-year-old Rahim. After one and a half years, she gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Shakila. Although Rahim's family was upset at the birth of a girl child, Rahim and Jamila loved her like any parent would love his/her child. After three years of Shakila's birth, her little sister Sakina was born which caused Jamila's in-laws to be more upset: the first two-borns of their only son were girls, burdens for their family.
2 years passed and Shakila came of age to start school but alas! Rahim died suddenly in a road accident leaving Jamila, her daughters and her in-laws left without a breadwinner. Shakila was unable to go to a school that year while Jamila and the family lived off from the money left by her husband and her father-in-law.
After a year, Jamila decided, "Not anymore! Her daughters deserve to go to school!" She told her mother-in-law that she wanted to work outside as a housemaid to earn money for the family and her daughters' education. Her mother-in-law forbade her telling that women should not work outside and a girl's education is irrelevant. Consequently, Jamila chose to challenge despite society's obstacles. The next year, Shakila started her primary education in a government school.
Years passed and Jamila started to grow fresh vegetables in her backyard from the money she saved from her earnings as a housemaid. Subsequently, she started her own shop to sell fresh vegetables. Today, Jamila is 40 and her eldest child started her university life. She is still selling the fresh fruits and vegetables often helped by her two children. She fell asleep thinking about how far she came. Although they are financially stable now, Jamila is still worried and tired after a long day of work. After all, she is a mother, a single mother, a fighter who chose to challenge the traditional norms of society and earned her crown of success!
A backstory written and performed by Nuzaba Tasannum, at International Women's Day celebration event, Storytellers organized by The Echo AUW and the Student Government. Storytellers was an interactive session where participants were asked to describe a backstory of an artwork depicted on screen
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