From Tears to Dreams: How Tahmina Found Her Smile Again
Tahmina is an 8-year-old girl studying in Class 2 at Sreepur Village. She came from the northern part of Bangladesh with her mother, carrying the weight of many hardships. After her father divorced her mother, their lives fell into crisis. Her mother struggled to provide even the basics—food, education, and healthcare. Many nights, Tahmina went to bed hungry, watching her mother cry silently. As a little girl, she felt her mother’s pain deeply and often believed that her mother’s suffering was somehow her fault.
Tahmina used to spend hours sitting quietly by her mother’s side, worrying about how they would survive. She longed for a simple meal or a chance to go to school without fear of being sent away for unpaid fees. The constant struggle made her childhood heavy with worries that no child should bear.
When Tahmina and her mother arrived at Sreepur Village 1.5 years ago, their lives changed completely. For the first time, Tahmina experienced what it means to have security, care, and joy.
Tahmina loves drawing flowers, birds, and houses. She enjoys skipping, playing hide-and seek, and singing songs with her friends. Storybooks are another source of happiness—she loves fairy tales.
At Sreepur Village, Tahmina receives three nutritious meals a day. Her favourite dish is chicken curry with rice, and she loves the special khichuri served on Fridays. Among fruits, mangoes and guavas are her absolute favourites—she says they taste even better because she can pick them fresh from the Sreepur Village garden. She also enjoys seasonal fruits like bananas and jackfruits, which she never had access to before. Eating healthy meals and fresh fruits makes her feel strong and energetic, ready to run and play.
Tahmina now feels full of hope. She no longer worries about food or her mother’s tears. Instead, she proudly shows her drawings to her teachers and laughs freely with her friends. Seeing her mother smile as she learns income-generating skills like tailoring fills Tahmina with relief and joy.
Tahmina spends her mornings in school, afternoons playing in the fields, and evenings reading or chatting with her mother. She takes part in cultural programmes, where she dances and sings with other children. Sometimes, she helps water plants in the garden, especially the fruit trees she loves. These little activities give her a sense of belonging and pride.
Inspired by her teachers, Tahmina dreams of becoming a teacher one day. She wants to guide other children and help them smile and learn, just as she is doing now.
Tahmina’s story shows that with the right support, even a child burdened by hardship can rediscover the joy of childhood and build a future full of dreams. Sreepur Village is not just her home—it is her safety and her strength, where she can laugh, grow, and flourish.