My parents passed away when I was pretty young. I am the eldest among 6 sisters and 1 brother. We didn’t have any one to support us and we were not in a good place back then but I don’t regret any of it at all. It is difficult to make ends meet when you don’t have parents watching over you. I used to be a different person than and I am a different person now. I am stronger now. I don’t need any one to support us. I have enough confidence and will power to help and support my siblings. After my parents’ death, where most people give up, I decided to turn things around for my family and I took full responsibility of my siblings. I educated my sisters and brother the way my parents would have wanted. One of my sister is now studying at LUMS, one in Mehran University and the other in Sindh. The ones younger to them are still in school in Shahdadpur. Life has gotten easier for us.
Zoya Khan is 23 years old and belongs to the city of Shahdadpur, Sanghar District of Sindh. She attended Train the Young Trainer in April 2016, a premier program by School of Leadership that provides a platform for aspiring trainers. She travelled 6.5 hours each session from Shahdadpur to Karachi to attend this program. Zoya has worked for several NGOs in her district. She started working in 2011 after the flood had destroyed majority of the livestock in Sindh. She currently works as a community mobilizer for nutrition- based awareness in Sindh.