The Poverty
During my student life, I lived in a hostel far from home, and those years were some of the most challenging chapters of my life. My entire family was struggling with poverty, and every day felt like a balancing act between survival and ambition. My mother, with tireless strength and quiet sacrifice, was the sole breadwinner of our household. She worked hard—often beyond her limits—to ensure that I could continue my education. The money she managed to send me every couple of months was painfully small, just enough to get by, and sometimes even less. But in it, I could feel her love, her hope, and her belief in my future.
Each time I received that money, I would divide it carefully—some for basic meals, some for books, and some for hostel fees. There was no room for luxury, no scope for indulgence. I often had to make difficult choices: skipping meals to save for exam materials, studying by candlelight when electricity was cut off due to unpaid bills, or wearing the same clothes until they began to wear thin. The tension of food, rent, and daily needs always hung over me like a shadow. Yet, in the middle of all this, I held tightly to my dreams.
The hunger, the sleepless nights, the cold floors, and the silence of being alone—all of it became a part of my education too. I didn’t just learn from books; I learned from the rawness of life itself. I discovered how to endure, how to stay focused amid noise and worry, and how to believe in the invisible bridge between hardship and success. What kept me going was a sense of purpose—a quiet voice within reminding me that every page I turned, every class I attended, every small test I passed, was a step toward a different life, not only for me but for my mother and family.
“In the silence of the hostel room and the weight of an empty pocket, I built the strength to rise—not just for myself, but for the dreams my mother carried in her tired hands.”
Those days in the hostel, though filled with struggle, also built the foundation of who I am. They taught me resilience, gratitude, and the unshakable power of hope.
