Rising Above Circumstances – Rasel’s Path to Empowerment
Meet Rasel, a 17-year-old boy residing in the congested Gojmohol area, which lacks basic civic amenities. For the past six years, Rasel has been living a life devoid of dreams, expectations, and hope. His mother used to work as a sewing operator in a tannery, while his father earns a living as a rickshaw puller. Unfortunately, Rasel’s only sister has already been married off. Rasel’s story is, regrettably, not uncommon, as his hardworking parents were forced to leave him unattended and vulnerable in the slums. This neglect has taken a toll on Rasel’s life, leading to a challenging and tumultuous turn from his early childhood.
During his adolescent years, Rasel found himself caught up in frequent fights with other slum children, which eventually led him to become involved with gang leaders and local politics. These circumstances pushed him into undertaking hazardous jobs to survive. In 2018, when his family relocated to Gojmohol, he began working in a leather factory, where he took on tasks such as shaping leather, operating machinery, drying shoe soles, transporting shoes, washing pants, engaging in masonry work, spraying, and various other risky assignments. Despite demonstrating remarkable academic abilities and achieving outstanding performance in his previous board exams, Rasel had lost all desire to return to school.
However, Rasel’s life took a significant turn when he crossed paths with the Tdh staff through the CLARISSA project in 2020. Gradually, the meaning and perspective of his life began to transform. Rasel became a member of the Children Research Group (CRG) and the Action Research Group (ARG), actively participating in research initiatives and taking decisive actions. Rasel’s talents and creativity shone through, and he discovered a passion for photography. His unique perspective captured the attention of Tdh, and one of his photographs was proudly displayed in their photography exhibition held on February 10, 2023, at the prestigious Drik Gallery. The exhibition not only showcased Rasel’s talent but also served as a platform for him to express his joy and be recognized within his community.
Reflecting on his transformative journey, Rasel shared, “when I started attending the training sessions and meetings organized by Tdh, such as story collection, photovoice, small map analysis, big system mapping, and GIS mapping, I discovered a newfound motivation to change my behavior and outlook on life. Through these activities, I learned to exercise self-control, avoiding misbehavior, using foul language, engaging in unnecessary fights, and being careless about life. Deep down, I always had a desire to continue my education and pursue my dream. However, the fear of people’s opinions after such a long gap, the worry of friends mocking me, and the thought of younger students laughing at me held me back. But now, I believe I must disregard those concerns for my betterment.”
Fueled by the encouragement he received from Tdh’s ARG, Rasel made a life-changing decision to enroll himself in a school during the eighth grade, while still balancing his responsibilities at the courier company where he worked. Rasel is now determined to complete his education and seek better employment opportunities in the near future.
