I was an orphan – I struggled like an animal since I was a child. I begged for food, I carried bricks at construction sites – I did all kind of odd and small jobs to survive in this world. I was no one for anybody. I suffered from lack of food, lack of love, and lack of a home. I grew up vulnerably, with emptiness killing me from inside. I stopped smiling, dreaming and hoping. For everyone, I was just a homeless labourer – until I met Salma – another orphan who worked at the same construction site. She used to forcefully talk to me. I started talking to her too; it was different for both of us as no one talked to any of us before with respect. We got married after two years and were blessed with three beautiful daughters.

I have no regrets even though we are very poor. We have almost nothing except each other. Together we earn a very little amount of money but we are never hopeless about our earning and our life. We understand each other completely. The most valued part is that we love each other unconditionally. We help each other in our tasks. I help her with her household work, and she helps me in every possible way. Other workers in the construction site are surely jealous of us. I am certainly blessed with her.

We still don’t have a house of our own, but we have found shelter for ourselves in the roof of a public toilet. Most often

my eyes get wet when my children complain that people laugh at them for making a toilet their shelter. I tell them – this shelter is temporary, their permanent home is in my heart, which is the most beautiful of all the heavens.

I always wanted to send my daughters to school, to educate them. I wanted them to stand in front of people with dignity. I never wanted anyone to look down upon them like the way everyone did to me. My children are my world. I am really grateful to all the people who are educating our children for free. Today, all my girls go to school. When I go home they always show me their class work copy, I don’t understand anything, but I use to kiss in their hand writing. I want them to be educated. I have never been to school, neither did their mother – but I know – Education changes lives.”