Story of Saphia

Saphia was born a loving and normal baby. Wonderful world around her collapsed down when she was only 7.  First she lost her mother and a few days later she had suffered from high fever and when recovered she found that she could not walk any more even cannot stand without support.  She had been crippled by a disease called Polio.  She knows that if she had been vaccinated, when she was a few months old, today she would be a vibrant young woman perhaps with a husband and children.  Fifty years ago nobody in their village knew anything about immunization; her father and other village elders suspected it was due to black magic or mischievous sprit commonly known as ‘Zeen’ among the Muslim community.  Therefore, instead of giving her proper medical treatment, precious time and money were lost through engaging witch doctors to cure her. In this way her poor father Lufaz Uddin squandered lots of money, even he had to dispose of some pieces of land. Remaining land were not enough to support four persons in the family.  So, he took part time job as day labour.  As a result of back breaking toil soon he fell ill and died without having treatment.Saphia was only 11 years old and with two younger brothers to support. Physical disability and death of the only bread earner for the family could not daunt her rebel spirit.  Gararia, the village where Saphia and her brothers live is 35 km north east of Dhaka. It was about the time in 1973, CJW had taken Garalia into its program zone.  Saphia approached the group leader and requested her to take Saphia in the group. She was first refused because she was disabled. The group leader thought that she wouldn’t be able to master the skill and or she would be slow and sluggish.  However, earnest appeal and considering the extreme hardship of the family (now only 3 minors), none of the members could turn her request down on compassionate ground.  When she joined the group, she proved quite divergent to their assumption. Saphia is the most prized asset in their group. She was very quick to pick up skills from her trainers, and became the most productive among all the members.  Her quality of craftsmanship is the leading few, among all the artisans of CJW.   She became the master craftsman of the region, not only that, she lead the group for several years as a ideal leader.Beside the crafts, she planted fruit trees like bananas, papayas, star fruits etc. She spent money to buy a calf with her own savings and a loan from the CJW.  She sold half of the milk and started to save money with the Samity. Soon she repaid the loan and sold the cow and with the money bought 0.04 acre of land. In 1990, Saphia borrowed interest free loan for the second time from CJW to buy a young cow. Soon the cow gave birth to a calf, selling milk, Saphia earned some more money.  Half of the money she saved with group regularly and the rest she spent for the family.  She built a house with tin‑roof. She also thought a great deal about her brother’s future. She sent Mossaraf and Harun to the village Madrasa. After several years, they came back finishing their education and began to work on the land.  Both of the brothers have they family.  Saphia is still taking care of them.

The memory of the days of hard struggle is receding fast. Saphia is happy and contended to rear the children of her brothers. She had taken care of getting them immunized against six deadly diseases. When she sees them laughing, bouncing, perhaps for a fleeting moment it reminds her of her own childhood.