Lucky are those who get an education these days when the expenses of life have made it more a privilege than a right. I am Tahira from Trolly Ada, a place where everyone seeks a better education for their children so that they may go far in life. My parents also brought me up with the same desire due to which they educated me till matric with science subjects. Life has its way and in my case, the sudden death of my father and the mental illness of my mother made it nearly impossible to pursue further education. The high expenses of day to day living bring to me the responsibility of supporting my family since I am the eldest sister. I did a job in Madina cash and carry and then tied the knot with my life partner when I was eighteen.
I find myself fortunate enough to get a caring husband who brings happiness and peace to my life. But society has its norms as we cannot survive merely on love and care and the need for decent earnings is essential. Being a rickshaw driver of someone else rickshaw it becomes very difficult for us to make ends meet. I had a pre-mature baby girl that Allah took back after four months of her birth. After three years now, I am the mother of a daughter who is now seven months. I often wonder what if I had gotten the chance to educate myself, what if I were able enough to get a well paying job to secure my daughter’s future as well as to help my husband in fulfilling our necessities.
Education has been a sole essential for survival these days and this is the most important realization I felt now and then.
Whenever I see my younger brother to whom I wasn’t able to provide the right of education; the regret intensifies as he continuously fails to get a well paying job while he keeps on whitewashing on the basis of daily wages. But I was helpless in that situation as I was more preoccupied with providing food for my family rather than education. I am still looking for a job even though I know it won’t be possible to get a high paying job. I do not my children to repeat what I and my siblings went through i.e. not being able to get a proper education.
Education to me is the best gift and assurance that I can give to my daughter so that she can be able to stand upon her own feet and provide for herself.
I wish I can make her educated enough so that she gets a respectable in position in this highly educated society. I don’t want her to worry about the next meals or to continuously think about where to get clothes for the changing season or how will you pay the bills and rents that surround us all time like a monster.
I found my matric education worth nothing in this futuristic world of science and technology where many are having high qualifications but still no jobs. So, society is demanding highly skilled intellectuals who can compete to be able to form a position in it. If I could change anything from society or if I could do something for my hometown, I would have educated every person there so that no one can feel what I am going through.
My inspiration is doctor Javeria, who worked at the hospital where my daughter was born.
I wish for my daughter to be brought up like her. The way she helps everyone is inspiring. As even our Holy Prophet PBUH has ordered us to help each other. It is not unusual to feed oneself, the big achievement is when someone thinks for everyone and tries to spread equality in the society as education even gets into our veins. If we don’t have the basic feeling of humanity for each other that can indorse us to help each other.
I even want to tell everyone out there to come forward to spread wellness in society to help each other, to share each other’s worries. I wish that every child of society can enjoy the facility of education as their basic right so that no one feels helpless when not being able to survive in society. Even the women who don’t have to do the jobs should have the education to teach their children the righteous values that govern our lives, to make them the best so that they may positively impact the whole society
Written by Hafsa Mushtaq
Edited by Ahmed Rahim Hyder