Story Sumi

Sumi’s mother had a difficult delivery. She was malnourished and gave birth to Sumi without any medical assistance. She immediately noticed that her daughter did not cry after she was born.

But as a day laborer, without a husband and with several other mouths to feed, she was unable to go to a doctor. Her daughter grew well, but was clearly different from other children. Despite the fact that education for girls is free, Sumi could not attend school. Her mother could not afford the school uniform and books. So Sumi wandered the streets of Daulatpur. Niketan’s employees came across Sumi and included her in the program. She has developed rapidly since then. For example, she has learned to speak, play, read, and write a little. Thanks to a disability scholarship from the government, she went to an elementary school in her village. We helped her mother gain access to the right channels to get what she was entitled to.

Sumi did well for a while, but then her sister married and the COVID pandemic hit. Sumi’s sister’s husband moved in with the family and they soon had a son. There was not enough money to feed everyone, and Sumi became the scapegoat. She only got leftovers, had to do all the housework and she was subjected to mental and physical abuse. Sumi no longer wanted to live like this and wanted to end her life.

In tears, she called a Niketan employee. This phone call once again changed her life. Sumi attended reproductive health training and then leadership training. During these training programs, Sumi learned to love herself and stand up for herself. She did not keep this knowledge to herself, but passed it on to her neighbors. She helped neighboring women with conflicts and injustice and became a valuable member of the community. However, she did not seem to win the battle with her family. The more she stood up for herself, the more she was subjected to domestic violence.

But she did not give up. She told people about the abuse and asked her neighbors for help. They are now keeping an eye on the family and challenge their behavior. As a result of the social control and respect Sumi receives from the community, she now wants to live again and dares to dream about a future.

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