A young mother was in tears as she signed a document that stated, “From this day forward, the organisation will assume all responsibilities for my three-month-old daughter. Due to my financial incapacity to provide for her, I am relinquishing my rights as a mother or guardian.” Let’s consider the anguish she must have felt. She had no choice but to part with her child due to her financial constraints which unfortunately is a common scenario in Bangladesh. Let us also consider the future of Sheli, who will be identified by a file number instead of her parents’ names, an organisation’s name instead of her hometown, and an organisation’s address instead of her home address. In the midst of 1996, the sky blazed. Summers in Bangladesh are usually hotter than in any other region of the subcontinent. a mother gave birth to a daughter in Dhaka. Her husband had left her prior to the birth of their child.
As we mentioned in the introductory story, Sheli found her new home at CTRDW (Centre for Training & Rehabilitation of Destitute Women). After spending 3.5 years there, on December 2nd 1999, Sheli embarked on a new journey at Sreepur Village and remained with us until 2016, and during these 17 years, we supported her in every way possible—providing shelter, living expenses, meeting her daily needs, offering education, training, and everything necessary to equip her with the strength to survive in the outside world.
Sreepur Village became Sheli’s family, her school, her playground, her training ground—her entire world. After spending 17 years at SV, she left to pursue a career in nursing. Following an intense year-long training at the esteemed Bangladeshi institution, Gonoshashtho Kendra, she began her nursing career.
In 2017, Sheli married a young man from southern Bangladesh and they now reside at her in-laws’ home with their daughter.
Sheli has become a devoted mother, a full time job, and a proud homemaker. She takes immense pride in her life at SV and expresses gratitude towards both known and anonymous donors who provided her with the opportunity to thrive as a privileged individual on this Earth.
Sheli extends her thanks for instilling her with the confidence to remain resilient through parental love. Sheli’s daughter is now receiving boundless love from this world, thanks to all of you who have filled her mother’s life with love.
Thank you on behalf of the new generation in southern Bangladesh, who will carry Sheli’s bloodline forward.
