“I want to be a doctor one day,” says Suma, her face lighting up with pride and anticipation.
It’s a dream that is within reach for Suma; but a dream her two older sisters could have never imagined.
Her sisters never went to school because they were married off at a young age, as is common in their village. For Suma’s parents, a fisherman father and a homemaker mother who also sells paper packets to support the family, following traditional community norms was important. But Suma’s dream of becoming a doctor is slowly becoming her mother’s dream too. “I am so proud of my daughter and all she has achieved so far. Education is the key to her future,” says Prova Rani. “She is learning English, and I am amazed at how well she can read. My hope is that Suma will study hard and, one day, become a doctor.”
Suma’s schooling is having such a powerful impact on her family that they are changing their outlook on the value of education for girls.
Her mother now understands just how important it is for girls to have the opportunity to study for themselves and for the betterment of society. To parents like hers, who never thought schooling was possible for their daughters, Suma is showing a new way forward. And as the wider community begins to see the benefits of education, they, too, are dreaming big for their children.
You can make another child’s dream come true by sponsoring them.