Story Ayesha

My name is Ayesha and I’m fourteen years old. I have mild spastic paralysis. Until recently, I was called a cripple by neighbors and the community.

I was a quiet girl with little self-confidence. I attended sex education and leadership training. Now I go to schools as an expert by experience. The Runa book, a true story about a girl with spastic paralysis, is used in 10 schools in Daulatpur. To make the story of Runa even more meaningful, I told my life story in 10 schools in grades 3, 4 and 5. How I was called names, that other children at school did not want to sit next to and/or play with me and how much that hurt me. The children hung on my every word and you could hear a pin drop when I told my story. They felt sorry for me and after my lesson, the children asked for my phone number. They wanted to call me, thought I was brave and a good teacher.

Now when I meet pupils from one of the schools, they greet me and call me madam. Me being called madam! As little as six months ago I still was ‘that cripple’. I do know now what I want to be later. Teaching was very cool, so I’m going to be a teacher later.

Also read the story of Jiasmin