Teacher | Alumni of Salma Public School
"I am proud to be teaching in the same school where I first learned to read and write."
Kashifa grew up in Rataul and began her education at Salma Public School. She went on to clear a scholarship exam - sponsored through Salma's NGO partner Headstrong - that took her to Vidya Bhavan Senior Secondary School in Khekra for her higher education. She later completed her B.A. from Chaudhary Charan Singh University.
Today, eight years after joining as a teacher, Kashifa stands in the same classrooms where she once sat as a student. She credits her parents - both uneducated themselves - for pushing all their children towards learning, and she is deeply grateful to Zahoor Sir and Nishat Ma'am for the foundation they gave her.
She recalls a particularly difficult time when her father met with an accident, fracturing his leg. Nishat Ma'am waived the full year's fees for all her siblings, arranged their courses, and even helped with medical expenses. "Because of her kindness, there was no gap in our education," Kashifa says. "All of us passed with good marks."
Kashifa's message for others: never give up, never think small - keep going with dedication, because there is always something new you can do.