Meet Fatema

2 mins read time

12-year-old Fatema attends one of the learning centres supported by Children on the Edge in the Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh. She fled Myanmar in tragic circumstances in 2017 and arrived as a refugee. Read her story...

​When she was six, Fatema lived with her parents in Rakhine State, Myanmar. She describes them as ‘a loving couple who cherished their family life’ and says ‘Our days were filled with warmth and happiness, surrounded by the support of family and friends’. 

In August 2017 when the Myanmar military unleashed a wave of extreme violence and torture against the Rohingya, burning over 390 villages to the ground, Fatema and her family had to flee.

As Fatema's father Hashim prepared to go to the market, he was seized by a group of soldiers. Fatema stood frozen at their door, watching helplessly as her father was taken away. Hashim made a silent plea to her as he was led away, subtly signalling she and her mother should run, but Fatema was too young to understand what he was trying to communicate, or the gravity of the situation.

She rushed to get her mother, and when they returned they found Hashim's lifeless body on the ground. 

Fortunately, the military did not enter their home after the murder. Within a few minutes, family members were lifting Fatema and pulling her mother away from Hashim's body. It was clear their village was not the only one under attack; the military was indiscriminately killing Rohingyas everywhere and despite their shock and grief, they needed to run. 

After a few miles, Fatema was unable to go any further. She was carried by her uncle, then her grandmother helped her to walk. After two days and nights on foot without food or drink, they reached the banks of the Naf River. They drank the water and managed to cross into Bangladesh on a tiny boat. 

Once in Bangladesh, concerned locals welcomed them and Fatema's family was provided with shelter and food in the Kutupalong refugee camp. As the months went by, this camp became their new home, but whilst basic necessities were being provided, Fatema had no access to education. ​

Fatema, now safely living in Bangladesh after fleeing her home in Myanmar in 2017

---

In 2018, when she was seven years old, a learning centre supported by Children on the Edge opened near Fatema’s shelter. She eagerly embraced the opportunity to learn, and her teacher described how ‘her eyes sparkled with joy’ as she received her first book.

Fatema learning in her classroom in Kutupalong

From that day forward, she attended classes diligently, absorbing knowledge, enjoying the creativity of painting, crafting and learning about health and sanitation, which kept her safe from illness in a cramped and crowded camp. 

Her classroom is filled with colourful artwork and decorations, and surrounded by greenery which the class help tend to. She loves seeing her friends excelling in drawing and crafting, and how their creations are featured in the Moja Kids newsletters, which she would love to be featured in one day too.

Her work and determination has helped her make steady progress in her studies and she recently progressed to a higher grade. Fatema has not only begun to regain a sense of safety and care, she has had fun, made friends, expressed herself and learned many skills, including reading and writing in both Burmese and English. 

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Rebeka Khatoum says “With her head held high, Fatema has continued her journey, determined to overcome any obstacle that lay ahead. Her story is one of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of education, a beacon of light in the darkest of times.”

READ ABOUT HOW WE BRING LEARNING TO LIFE WITH VIDEO LESSONS IN BANGLADESH