At just twelve years old, Sumaiya Khatun had become the caretaker of her own shattered life. She would often skip school, wandering the alleys in search of scraps of food to quell her gnawing hunger. In the darkest corners of her mind, a flicker of hope urged to shine, a hope that whispered of freedom.
Sumaiya’s world had become a suffocating cage. Each day began with the clamor of her father’s angry shouts and the hollow laughter of her stepmother, whose eyes were clouded by the haze of addiction. They were supposed to be her family, but instead, they were the architects of her nightmares. As the sun rose over the dusty streets of their neighborhood, it cast long shadows over her heart—a heart that yearned for love, safety, and a chance to dream.
One night, Sumaiya made the hardest decision of her young life. She slipped out of the house, her heart pounding in her chest. With only the clothes on her back and a small bag of dreams, she headed to the railway station of Chapainawabganj, believing that somewhere out there, a better life awaited her.
Though she managed to reach Dhaka railway station somehow, after that she encountered reality. The station was a chaotic swirl of humanity, and for a moment, Sumaiya felt lost among the throngs of strangers. As she sat on a cold bench, exhaustion overwhelmed her, and tears streamed down her cheeks. It was then that a gentle voice broke through her despair. “Are you okay, little one?” It was, fortunately, a guy, eyes filled with compassion from APON Foundation rescue team.
Sumaiya hesitated at first, but then the empathetic words of that guy made her melt down. She poured out her story, the pain, the fear, the longing for a better life. The guy listened intently, his heart aching for the girl. With a reassuring smile, he extended his hand. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. We can help you.”
Sumaiya’s journey to safety began that day. She was taken to APON’s transitional shelter for street children, a place filled with laughter and light. At first, it felt surreal; walls painted in cheerful colors, the smell of home cooked meals wafting through the air, and other children like her, sharing stories and dreams. For the first time, she experienced kindness, nurturing, and the slow but steady healing of her wounded spirit.
APON Foundation’s dedicated team members contacted her family to send her back to home, but Sumaiya’s father refused to take her back. Then we decided to refer her in “Association For Correction and Social Reclamation Center.” Sumaiya began to reclaim her identity. She enrolled in school, her eager mind absorbing knowledge like a parched land drinking in the rain. The staff at the safe home encouraged her, nurturing her passions. She discovered a love for art, painting her emotions onto canvas, transforming her pain into vibrant colors.
With each passing day, the darkness that once consumed her began to fade, Sumaiya started to dream again. Her journey was far from over, but now she walked it with a newfound strength, surrounded by a family of support. Sumaiya learned that while her past was a part of her, it did not define her. Instead, it fueled her determination to create a brighter tomorrow, one brushstroke at a time.