When Suleman finishes his education, he hopes to become employed in a challenging position in a growing company. He would like to get an MBA, which he feels will prepare him for success. Currently, he is studying in grade nine and lives with his parents, Mohammad Sultan and Sima, and two other siblings in Geneva Camp. His father earns about $77 a month working in a coal factory. Suleman has set admirable goals. He wants to form an organization to work for the betterment...
Shirin lives with her father Mohammed and mother Yasmin in Geneva Camp. Her brother is their family’s only source of income. Working as a rickshaw driver, he makes a monthly income of $38. This has to support seven family members. Shirin’s favorite person is her mother, and the personality she greatly admires is the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). She likes to watch television during her free time, and also likes to go skipping with her friends. She is very proud of...
Sadia Akhter lives with her siblings and parents, Mohammed Monu and Razwana, in Geneva Camp. Her father works in a shop that sells biryani (a rice dish) and earns about $77 a month. Razwana has played a very important role in her children’s lives, and Sadia feels that it is because of her mother’s encouragement and positive attitude that she can get through her problems with ease. Sadia greatly admires the Bengali social reformer and feminist from a century ago, Begum Rokeya, because...
Noor is a fan of the video game “Clash of Clans,” which he plays every chance he gets. That isn’t his only pass time, though. He likes to play cricket, and sometimes writes stories. He thinks that there’s a huge pool of talent in Bangladesh, but because of a lack of education, these talents go unrecognized and all too often undeveloped. Noor believes in the value of hard work to achieve one’s goals: “it is not your fault if you are born poor,”...
Dulary’s dad passed away when she was very young. Since then, her mother Rawshan Ara has raised Dulary and her two siblings, struggling to cope with crushing poverty and repeated setbacks. Her brother currently supports the family, working as a butcher with a monthly income of $115. Dulary knows that in order to overcome the circumstances she’s currently trapped in, she needs to focus on studying hard. She wants to get an MBA and become a banker. Dulary enjoys light-hearted reading, and plays badminton...
Sultana’s favorite person is Atiur Rahman, until recently the Governor of the Central Bank of Bangladesh. When asked why, she said because Rahman came from a very poor family and remote village, and worked very hard to achieve his position. That might be why she dreams of becoming a banker and studying toward a Chartered Accountancy or C.A. degree. She feels that being a banker and a good person are often mutually exclusive. So she wants to be a good...
Saima is a hard working student who studies in the ninth grade. She belongs to a family of six, which includes her parents, Alamgir Hossain and Soni. They all live in a tiny 8’x8’ hut in block C of Geneva Camp. All of them get by on the income of her brother, who earns about $58 per month as a butcher. Like all camp residents, Saima and her family face a multitude of problems. She wishes she had the power to...
Noor Hussain’s aim in life is to become a Chartered Accountant. He is currently a student of OBAT’s tutoring center in Dhaka, where he’s receiving help in studying for the public exams that he needs to take in grade nine. Many students from the camps are able to get high marks on these exams after receiving assistance from these tutoring centers, thus enabling them to continue their education. Noor holds Anwar Khan, the founder of OBAT Helpers, in great esteem since he feels Mr....
