In Block B-1 in Camp 15, a 15-year-old Rohingya girl named Noor Kalima resides with her family. Her father, a brave fisherman, and her mother, a volunteer midwife at the camp hospital, make up her humble family.
Noor Kalima vividly recalls her grueling journey from Myanmar to Bangladesh, lasting a harrowing seven to eight days. Bearing witness to the violence against women upon arrival, including the traumatic experience of seeing a girl her age sold, left a deep impression. Her mother was her bulwark against harm and violence during these times.
In her younger years, Noor Kalima envisioned a future not unlike her mother’s and sisters’—bound by marriage. She was unaware of her own potential, or that she could leverage her intellect and abilities to improve her family’s circumstances. Noor Kalima’s life took a significant turn when representatives from the “Delivering Health, Nutrition, Livelihood, and Protection Services to Rohingya Refugees and Vulnerable Host Communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh” project arrived, seeking participants for the Girl Shine program. Despite initial enrollment setbacks, Noor Kalima was invited to join the program, marking the beginning of her enlightening journey with Girl Shine.
During a Girl Shine session, Noor Kalima confided her aspirations and interest in sewing to the facilitator. Encouraged, she started learning the craft at a nearby Women Girls Safe Space (WGSS). Two months of dedicated training equipped her with sewing skills, contributing to her family’s income by making clothes for her community.
Through the Girl Shine program, I gained insights into women’s empowerment, financial management, and life skills, and want to be an independent woman in the future it’s my dream.
Grateful for her metamorphosis, Noor Kalima acknowledges the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and PROTTYASHI. She expresses deep gratitude towards the concerns for their pivotal role in catalyzing her life’s positive transformation.
