Staff Reporter Mymensingh :
At just 13, Yusuf Ali’s life already carried the weight of hardship far beyond his age. Born into a poor family in Satashia village, his childhood was defined not by classrooms or playgrounds, but by the clang of hammers and the thick smoke of a city garage.
Yusuf’s father, Abdul Awal, is a daily wage laborer. His mother, Monowara Khatun Mili, stays at home, while Yusuf’s two sistersChoa and Toaremain dependent on their parents.
Poverty pushed the family into difficult decisions. Despite passing grade five at the age of 11, Yusuf was unable to continue his studies. Instead, he joined a garage to help his struggling family survive.
Each day, Yusuf woke to the call of his employer, not the school bell. He carried not books, but greasy rags and heavy tools.
“Instead of notebooks, I had to buy garage equipment,” Yusuf recalls quietly. His dreams of studying and playing like other children faded behind the curtain of black smoke and sweltering heat.
But hope was not lost. One day, a community facilitator from Muktagachha South Area Program of World Vision Bangladesh noticed Yusuf. The facilitator was determined to change his fate.
Initial attempts to convince Yusuf’s parents failedpoverty spoke louder than dreams. But the facilitator did not give up.
With support from colleagues and the Village Development Committee (VDC), he visited again, patiently engaging with the family until they finally agreed to let Yusuf return to school.
