26/04/2025
"I WALKED OVER BODIES TO SURVIVE – NOW I DREAM TO HEAL"
My name is Porwar Fathema, an 18-year-old Rohingya girl currently living in Camp-14 of the world's largest refugee settlement. I come from Haripara village, Ward-2, Myoma Taung Ward in Maungdaw downtown, Arakan, Myanmar. My parents are Mr. Shomshu Alom and Daw Jainos Fathema.
In November 2024, heavy fighting broke out between the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army (AA). On August 5, 2025, AA launched targeted attacks on Rohingya civilians in Maungdaw. We heard terrifying reports—bodies left on the streets, homes struck by MogBagi drones, and no one able to bury the dead.
That day at 1:00 pm, my family fled our home without taking any belongings. We reached Foyazi Para by 3:00 pm, exhausted and terrified. The roads were unsafe, with drone attacks raining from above.
By 5:00 pm, we arrived at China Fatti (Sita Kola). Thousands of displaced people had gathered there, but hope quickly turned to horror. AA drones attacked relentlessly. I saw children, pregnant women, and the elderly torn apart by explosives. Some had their brains exposed, others their organs or bones outside their bodies. The path forward was blocked by corpses. We had to step over the dead just to survive.
Eventually, we found a small boat and managed to cross into Bangladesh. That’s how I became a refugee.
But I did not give up.
Today, I am proud to be a student at Rohingya Girl School (RGS) in Camp-1W, Block-E. Education has given me purpose.
I dream of becoming a doctor—to help those who suffer, to heal wounds of war, and to bring dignity back to those our world has forgotten.
The images I saw will stay with me forever. But so will the belief that education is our resistance and hope is our weapon.
To the world—I ask you:
Support Rohingya girls like me. Hear our voices. Share our stories. Help us heal.