Maleka

Jewellery,

Dhaka

My name is Maleka. I am a trainee at the jewelry department at Basha Enterprises Ltd. My parents have five children and I am the second oldest child. My mother works at Basha Enterprises Ltd. My father does not work and he is a drug addict. He sells whatever he can find at home to purchase drugs. We have endured many hardships at home. My mother’s income is not sufficient to fulfill my family’s needs. My parents sent my older sister to a garments factory when she was only 12 years old. My sister had to discontinue her studies and work for the family. I have a little brother who is severely sick. My mother’s income did not meet our everyday expenses and my mother wanted to have some extra money. So, she sent me to work at a garments factory and my studies ceased. I worked for a month at the garments factory, but they did not treat me well. I worked from morning until nighttime and I worked over twelve hours daily, but they paid me very little. I was so happy when I was able to quit my work at the garments factory. Now, I am receiving training at Basha as well as resuming my studies. Here, everyone loves me and is very kind to me. When I worked at the garments factory, I rarely had food during lunchtime. Here at Basha, I can enjoy my lunch with my mother and my siblings. I love to go to school and I want to complete my studies. My dream is to become a doctor and serve people.

Find other artisans

Our artisans have voted!

We asked our artisans what their top 4 favorite products are and here’s what they said…