Building dreams: Arif's journey from slum to education

Arif: "The Centre has changed the trajectory of my life. I owe much of my success to the opportunities it has provided me." Read about Arif's journey from the slum to university...

Arif Hossain is a 15-year-old former student of the Adra Education Centre in the Chalantika slum. He lives with his mother and has no siblings. Arif is an Arabic name and its meaning is "to be wise", which is very fitting for Arif's life story.

Arif is an only child from a Muslim family and was born in 2008. Arif's father has another wife and does not help them financially. He and his mother used to live together in the Chalantika slum, but now they live in an apartment. Though it is very difficult to manage financially as he and his mother earn 12000 BDT (around 108 USD) per month and this money is needed not only for rent but also for food. But they manage to eat 3 times a day for which they are very grateful.

Education Centre Chalantika

Arif has been attending the education centre regularly since 2016. He liked to study science books, especially physics. He is very intelligent and learns really fast. He also likes to draw pictures, but he is especially known for always smiling and being friendly. At the center he learned many very important things, not only facts, but also how to behave and cultivate the right values in himself. Every teacher in Chalantika liked him because he is a hardworking and decent boy. And when teachers from the local schools visited the slum looking for children interested in studying, they immediately noticed Arif.

After he started attending the centre, he also gained a best friend, Shahin, and their favourite activity together is playing cricket.

Academic achievements and university life

This year, in 2023, Arif passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam with an average of 3.96 in Science, which is an A. He has been admitted to the university in polytechnic: Institute of Science and Information Technology (ISIT), Mirpur, Dhaka-1216. In the future, he wants to become a computer engineer. Apart from his studies, he works part-time at Food Panda (food and grocery delivery) and still helps his mother with her work. In his spare time, he also keeps pigeons. Most of their income is spent on renting an apartment, food, commuting to the university and other necessary expenses.

Vision for the future

Although Arif grew up in difficult circumstances and his family faced major problems such as lack of food and clothing, lack of education and the absence of his father, despite all this, Arif was able to change both their lives thanks to his and his mother's hard work and the support of the Chalantika Education Centre. He seized this opportunity and worked hard towards his goal of becoming a computer engineer and providing for his family. Already, their lives are much better than before, so they are well on their way to the promising future Arif dreamt of!

And what does the community says about Arif?

Neighbour: "Arif's journey is an inspiration to all of us. It shows what is possible with determination and the right support."

Teacher Sinthya: "Arif's journey is a testament to the potential that lies within every child waiting to be unlocked."

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