My Story

As a 6-year-old girl, Shabana has spent all of her life that she can remember in the shadow of her younger brother. Her parents stopped caring for her upon the birth of their son, whom they now solely care for because of his gender. Now, Shabana is considered and treated as a burden to her family, since her parents believe that girls are bad luck to the family. She is emotionally and physically abused by her father and is neglected and discriminated against in her own home, simply because she is a girl. Shabana has spent her entire life growing up in a slum area in a makeshift hut that is completely unsafe for a child. She is denied basic necessities such as clean clothes, adequate food, and water, and therefore is malnourished. Shabana has never had the experience of going to school but instead is forced to stay home and cook, clean and fetch water for the family. The discrimination that she experiences not only stifles her potential, but also her overall well-being. 

Thankfully, one of our social workers was able to visit Shabana. Upon arriving and speaking with Shabana’s parents, our social worker immediately realized the situation that she was living in, and the necessity of immediate action. Shabana explained to our social worker that she longed to be cared for and to be able to go to school. Our social worker was able to explain to her parents our program and where and how their daughter would be living, and they agreed after explaining that they would never have enough money to send her to school. 

With us, Shabana is given a completely new path in life. She is cared for physically with housing and proper food, and also emotionally from our social worker. Going to school will help to instill Shabana with confidence and the reality of her true capabilities as a girl. With your help, we can help to shape Shabana’s future into one full of hope and potential.