Schooling eludes Rony

Saiful Islam Rony's dream to be a teacher faces a serious setback as the 11-year-old boy has to pull rickshaw to support himself, his mother and two sisters.

Woe befell the family after Rony's father Babul Hossain, a painting worker of Char Ruhita village under Char Ruhita union of Laxmipur Sadar upazila, fell from the house roof and died two years ago, said Rony's mother Hosne Ara Begum.

"Finding no other way, I returned to my parents' home along with three children -- Rony, four-year-old Maisha and two-year-old Tonni.

"Rony started helping his maternal grandfather in selling green coconuts. But the work did not bring much money and he started pulling rickshaw. Now we are living in a dilapidated shanty at a corner of my father's house," she said.

He poses for a photograph with his mother and two minor sisters at his maternal grandfather's house in the same locality recently. Photo: Nurul Amin

Rony was a Class III student of Char Ruhita Government Primary School when his father met the tragic death. Afterwards, his schooling discontinued as he had to work as the family bread earner at  such a tender age.

The boy wakes up very early in the morning and goes out with the rickshaw. In the evening, he returns home with daily food items like rice, lentil and vegetables.

Rony once dreamt of becoming a teacher after completing higher studies. He also dreamt that his sisters would one day become doctor or police officer.

"But now such dreams seem a mere luxury as I am struggling to survive with my mother and two sisters. Once I used to go to school with books in hand but now I carry passengers to schools on my rickshaw," Rony said.

Still Rony keeps his school books under the seat of the rickshaw. Whenever he gets time he reads those.

Kabir Patwari, chairman of Char Ruhita union parishad, said, "If Rony wants to continue his study, the union parishad can make arrangement for his study free of cost. But we do not have any arrangement to provide household expenses for the family."