07/12/2025
Phase 1: Educated Girl, Educated Family, Educated Society
Digital Awakening
1st December to 15th December, 2025
Facebook Post – 04 (English)
Story No. 04
My Life Story — A Story of Rising from Ashes
— Salma Khanom Barbhuiya
My name is Salma Khanom Barbhuiya.
I was born into a family of four sisters.
We had no brother.
But not having a brother never made us weak.
It only made our responsibilities clearer.
We were a middle-class family.
We had many dreams, but very little money.
With that little money, my father raised us with love and struggle.
My father worked in someone else’s shop for a small salary.
Our life somehow went on with that income.
One day, my father suddenly fell sick.
He had a nerve disease and remained bedridden for three long years.
Those three years were the hardest time of our lives.
We took him to many doctors—from Guwahati to Shillong.
But nothing worked.
In the end, my father passed away.
Along with him, everything we had also got finished.
During my father’s illness, my three elder sisters got married.
They were trying hard to continue their studies,
but the situation forced them to stop.
At that time, I was only in Class 10.
Suddenly, the responsibility of the whole family came onto my shoulders.
I passed my HSLC exam with First Division.
Some wonderful teachers supported and encouraged me.
I can never forget them.
Then a private college gave me free education.
It was a big opportunity, but with it came bigger challenges.
After college, I used to teach tuition.
I returned home late every night.
That was our only income.
But society said things like:
“Girls don’t need so much education.”
“Why does she stay out so late?”
No one wanted to know how we were surviving,
how I was studying,
or who depended on my small income.
But my mother never listened to society.
She always told me:
“A girl with responsibility never goes on the wrong path.”
My mother’s belief became my strength.
I passed HS with First Division too.
But then people around us started saying:
“Now it’s time to get her married.”
In the middle of all this, I lost my father.
His death broke me completely.
I kept asking myself:
“What will I do now? Who do I have?”
But I had no time to break down.
If I fell, my mother would fall too.
So I stood up again.
I went for admission in BA.
But I did not get the seat in the subject I wanted.
We protested against the unfair cut-off.
But when I returned home, society said:
“She acts like this because she got too much freedom!”
I did nothing wrong.
I only asked for fairness.
Later, I took admission in another department.
Along with studies, I became active in politics.
I also started teaching in a school.
I joined a few help foundations.
I helped needy people.
I arranged blood at midnight whenever someone needed it.
Because of this, many days I returned home late.
And society again started pointing fingers.
But my mother never stopped me.
She knew who I was.
Still, it hurt—
because the lies people told did not just hurt me,
they hurt my mother too.
Sometimes I think:
“If my father were alive, would I have heard so many insults?”
People don’t see my struggle.
They see only faults and doubts.
But I know one thing:
If you believe in yourself, no one can stop you.
Today I am studying BA.
I am only twenty years old.
I teach in a private school.
I manage politics, social work, and studies together.
I no longer care about society.
Society never lifts anyone up—
it only hurts with words.
My dream is now not just a dream—
it is my determination, my promise, my challenge.
I will prove—
a girl who has seen poverty,
who has seen her father die,
who has tolerated insults,
cannot be stopped by society.
My strength comes from two people—
my mother, who is always with me,
and my father, who is not here but blesses me every day.
This is my first writing.
If there is any mistake, please forgive me.
I only shared the real story of my life—
so that you understand that society never understands a girl’s strength,
but girls can change the world.
I will not stop.
I fell—
but I did not break.
We had poverty—
but I did not give up.
Society spoke—
I did not listen.
People spread lies—
I did not remain silent.
I fought through nights—
and began again every morning.
I am not weak because my father is not here.
I am strong because my mother is here.
We are four sisters—
so I am never alone.
Struggles taught me how to stand.
Dreams taught me how to win.
I will not stop—
as long as I breathe.
Because I am Salma,
and I do not give up.
Written by: Salma Khanom Barbhuiya
District: Hailakandi
