The Joy of Learning: Hamida Khatun’s Story

[Yousuf Khan]

Today, I want to share an experience that touched my heart deeply. A few days ago, I visited Pabna for a field visit under our SALT project. As always, I was interacting with the community members, listening to their stories, and learning about their experiences. But this time, something special happened—something that filled me with immense joy.

In the Pechakhola community, we have a group called "Joba Group." The group is led by Lata Apu, who, along with her team, works tirelessly to teach basic literacy skills to elderly members of the community. Their goal is simple yet powerful—to ensure that those who never had the opportunity to attend school can at least learn to write their own names, sign documents, and read basic texts that help them in their daily lives.

Hamida Khatun’s Moment of Pride

During my visit, I was speaking to different people, checking on their progress, when I met Hamida Khatun. She is an elderly woman who lost her husband many years ago and has no children. She survives on government aid, including old-age allowances, essential goods from TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh), and occasional support from locals.

I asked her, "How has your learning experience been?"

Her eyes lit up with joy as she started speaking—

"In the past, whenever I went to collect my old-age allowance, I had to give my thumbprint because I didn’t even know how to write my own name. Every time I did that, I felt small. I felt like I knew nothing. But this time, when I went, I told the member Sab, I will not give a thumbprint anymore! Now, I can write my own name!'"

As she spoke these words, I could see the pride and happiness in her eyes.

She smiled and said, "I am no longer ignorant. I can write my name now, and that is my pride!"

Hamida Khatun’s story was deeply inspirational for me. I realised that the true success of the SALT project lies here—in restoring people’s confidence and self-worth.

A woman who once could not even write her name now stands tall and proudly says, "I can write my name!" Is this a small achievement? Not at all! For her, it is a huge milestone—a new identity, a new sense of self-respect, a new beginning.

At that moment, I, too, felt incredibly proud. Because our work is not just about numbers—it’s about bringing real change in people’s lives on their own. And when I see this change, I know we are on the right path.

That’s why I couldn’t help but share this story with you all—because the joy of learning and the power of confidence grow even bigger when shared.

[Shahrukh Atpade]

Education has no age. A person is a lifelong learner. This is a great example of this.