Secure Childhoods Appeal

Nasrin's Story, Bangladesh

“My life as a young child consisted of collecting waste from the dump site and taking care of my brother. I had no hope of anything different or better.”

Nasrin is about to graduate from Primary School. She has worked hard on her education and is hopeful for the future. However, Nasrin’s story did not have an easy start. At just 7 years old, she worked on a dumpsite in Bangladesh, later becoming her family’s main caregiver and bread earner. Her life took a turn for the better when she was found by ChildHope’s project with our Bangladeshi partner Grambangla Unnayan Committee (GUC):

“My mother used to keep me lying under a nearby tree in the dump site while working. At the age of seven, I started waste picking to support my family and made Tk. 100 (about 90p) per day. It was a horrible life. Flies, awful smells, cuts, wounds and sickness were part of my everyday life. When my younger brother was born, I had a new additional responsibility to take care of him.

In 2015, Grambangla School teachers found me and my brother playing in front of our house. They asked me why I wasn’t in school. They completely understood my situation and talked with my mother about the importance of attending school, as well as the facilities that Grambangla School provides.

After I was enrolled in school, I finally started living like a child. The caregiver and teachers took care of my brother. I was not in the dumpsite anymore, so I started spending time studying, playing with beautiful toys and my new friends. Hot meals were provided so I didn’t have to cook anymore. My life has improved so much since starting at Grambangla School. My mother has also joined a self-help group facilitated by GUC and is saving money to support my further education.

“My dream is to see no one in my family earn a living as a waste picker anymore."

Grambangla has given me hope and taught me to dream of a better life. I’ve studied hard this year to complete my primary education. My teachers have motivated me to do vocational training afterwards. I’ve decided to do tailoring so that in the future I can get a decent job at a garment factory.”

Thanks to your support of ChildHope, Nasrin has been able to leave the horrible environment of the rubbish dump behind for a better future. Yet, many children like her are still growing up in unsafe environments, unable to access life-changing opportunities. Globally almost 1 in 10 children are pushed into child labour and more than 1 in 10 girls under the age of 20 are victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.

By making a one-off donation or setting up a regular gift, you can help us continue our vital work with our local partners to ensure every child has the right to a safe and happy childhood, free of exploitation, abuse and violence. With your support, we can create environments where children can simply be children.