Shobuj
Six-year-old
Shobuj studies in Playgroup in Ideal Kindergarten School. He wants to be a
doctor when he grows up. His family moved to
Shobuj’s
father, Ashraful Mondol is 42 years old. He drives a rickshaw to sustain the
needs of his family. His occupation leads him to a daily income of BDT 300.
Lebujan is Shobuj’s mother. She is 36 years old and serves as a housewife to
look after her family and take care of her children. Shobuj has 5 other siblings,
Rakib, Afroja, Sharmin, Shagorika and Shohag. Rakib is a garments worker and
earns around BDT 6,000 monthly.
Shobuj’s
family makes around BDT. 15,000 monthly which is equivalent to USD 200. The
family lives in a 1 room tin shed house. Water drops in during rain and the
family shares one toilet with 8 other families. There is no space in the house
for the children to study. All members of the family sleep on the floor as they
cannot afford a bed and their house is too small to accommodate much furniture.
Moreover, Shobuj’s elder
brother has a chronic disease in his leg. The family has to spend large amounts
of money every month for the treatment. Due to excessive expenses, it is
unlikely that young Shobuj can ever complete his school education. Therefore,
sponsorship is vital for Shobuj to continue in academia.