At a tender age of 18, one bright sunny day, on my way to the University, I had noticed a completely-naked young lady, picking food from garbage located right outside the main gate of Shamsunnahar Hall (A ladies hostel for Dhaka University students near TSC). After asking my friend who was accompanying me at that time, I learnt that the lady (Let’s name her MAYABI) was suffering from severe mental disorder, she did not have a home, or family, or somebody to take care for her! Her belly bump told me that she was heavily pregnant. My friend told me that
she was brutally raped multiple times and became pregnant as a result.
I thought to myself,
what kind of society we are living in, in a premise like this, which claim to being the highest seat of learning, a single kind-hearted person did not come forward to offer her help and support or at least arranged some food for her? How can we become so careless, insensitive and inhumane?
If this is the scenario of a prime location of the Capital city, what must be happening to the mentally challenged and homeless young ladies at remote locations? I just had one glimpse of vulnerable MAYABI through the window of a moving bus, but that one glimpse was strong enough to leave me distraught. That image is still haunting me till today.
That encounter left such a strong impact on me that that very day I promised to myself “one day I will do something for people like Mayabi”. It has been more than a decade since then, I have not forgotten my promise. I have devoted myself to arrange care and support to those who are suffering from mental disorders especially children under 18. However, I can’t do it alone, I need your help in order to save who are mentally challenged and who can not fight for themselves due to their mental illness.
