Bangladesh

Runi’s Opportunity

In a remote village, high in the hills of south-east Bangladesh, Runi, 10, treads carefully as she climbs the muddy track up from the stream. The basket strapped to her back—its handle looped over her forehead—bulges with the weight of the day’s water, sloshing in a steel container.

It’s still early in the morning when she arrives home, but the house stands empty, apart from her sleepy younger brother, Daniel. It’s harvest season, and that means her mother, elder brother and sister stay in the fields to farm. Her grandmother, great-grandfather and father leave early for their own jobs.

Runi is in charge of the cooking, cleaning, and caring for Daniel. “Before going to school … I make a dish from wild leaves from the forest for breakfast,” says Runi.

“I bring water for my family two times a day for drinking, cooking and washing—before going to school and after school. The hardest part of my day is bringing water from the streams, but now I am getting used to [it].”

It is a common scene in the village for girls like Runi to do the household chores, like cooking. Only if there is spare time do they play poikka, ludo (a board game) and a hop-skip-jump game.

Life in the village is difficult in many ways—a trip to the hospital takes around six hours by foot and motorboat—but Runi is surrounded by a loving family. She says she’s grateful for the opportunities the church has given her through the Compassion program.

Girls of Runi’s age in this community don’t often get to go to school, she explains, but she now has the same opportunities as Daniel.

Her father is equally hopeful for her future. “It’s a pity that I couldn’t send my elder son and daughter to school, but I’m happy to send Runi and Daniel. They won’t have to face as many hardships as we did in our childhood.”

Photo and words by Jarvis Sangma and Richard Miller