Summary
Three-year-old Sabina Khatun is now 18 and passed higher secondary exam with 68 per cent, also secured rank of 56,465 in West Bengal Joint
At the age of three, abandoned by her father, a girl and her sisters, brother and mother were on the streets.
Her mother, who studied till Class IX and did not have a job, would bring the children from Uluberia — where they lived — to a free daycare centre in central Kolkata. At night, they would go back to the streets in Uluberia.
The three-year-old Sabina Khatun is now 18. She passed the state higher secondary examination with 68 per cent this year. Sabina secured a rank of 56,465 in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination.
“I want to study electronics engineering,” she said.
After some months in Uluberia, Sabina had been admitted to a Rainbow Home of Loreto Day School Bowbazar. Her mother was employed at a Rainbow Home.
Rainbow Homes, run by the Loreto Sisters, are non-custodial residential hostels for underprivileged girl children till they turn 18. The girls are provided education and health support.
She grew up in the home, went to a Kolkata Municipal Corporation school and later to Lee Memorial Girls’ High School, where she scored 80 per cent in Class X.
Sabina passed Class XII from Taki House Government Sponsored Girls’ High School.
“I feel lucky to have got the opportunity that many don’t get. There are so many who continue to remain on the streets, in sun and rain,” Sabina told The Telegraph.
On Thursday, Sabina was felicitated by a society called Reach Out Star Foundation that acknowledged students who have done well in their Class XII exams.
Among the 30-odd students felicitated at the programme, Sabina stood out because of her conviction and undaunted spirit.
“There are many invisible faces like Sabina. What we do is create opportunities for them. Sabina is extremely hardworking and determined and that is the force behind her,” said Bisakha Sen, assistant director of Loreto Rainbow Homes, Kolkata.
The president of ReachOut Star Foundation, Shaheryaar Ali Mirza, said students like Sabina were an inspiration.
“She will inspire many young girls and boys. She stands out among the rest,” said Mirza.
The secretary of the foundation, Joeeta Basu, said the organisation aims to encourage the all-round development of students.
Sabina remembers that there were times in school when she felt left out. She was acutely aware that many had come from homes unlike hers.
“During parent-teacher meetings, my friends would be accompanied by both their parents...,” she said and paused. Then she went on: “But I have taken all that in my stride because there is so much I am thankful for.”
“We were on the streets because my mother could not pay the rent but she started working in a Rainbow Home and has now built a house for us,” said Sabina.
The journey is still a long one, Sabina knows. And engineering is an expensive stream. “I have to study and get a job,” she said.
Last updated on 16 Jun 2023
