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Delicate and shy, Noor takes a while to warm up
to strangers. Once she’s sure that we’re
friends, there’s no stopping this young lady –
she sparkles and shines as she tells us that
she’ll be a doctor when she grows up and heal
all the people in her village – just like her
role model, Dr. Khalida Sikandar. It is
disheartening to see that Noor’s school has no
science labs or a science teacher. Without
access to these, Noor’s dream to be a doctor
will remain just that.
Noor likes to stay close to her eldest brother,
Atta - her favorite brother. She’s not fond of
her sister – I sense some sibling rivalry at
play. Daddy’s little girl has a clear preference
for her dad over her mom – when I ask why, she
tells me very matter-of-factly “He goes to the
city and gets me nice things”.
Noor’s world is a small and simple one – she’s
never been to a large city, never sat in a car,
never wondered how she’ll achieve her dream of
becoming a doctor.
Her only window into the outside world is Indian
movies – she loves the glamorous clothes and
beautiful places the heroes and heroines of her
movies visit. She tells me excitedly that she
loves songs. When I ask her to sing her favorite
song, she smiles shyly and tells me that she
doesn’t remember it.
Noor
is fortunate to have a loving family and home.
She likes that she has 4 brothers and 2 sisters,
unaware that with their meager means, her
parents will be unable to sponsor the dreams of
all their children. Sacrifices will need to be
made and little Noor will not get a fair chance
to be everything she deserves.
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