Sumaiya (Sania) - Colors of a Dream: Sania's Journey
08 August 2012
Sania—a name that might echo in many homes, yet her story is uniquely her own.
From a very young age, Sania faced challenges that even adults struggle to bear.
Her father, Md. Sumoon, was an auto-rickshaw driver. One evening, while returning home, he was attacked and killed by local criminals. The shock was too much for her mother, Shirina Begum, who died of a stroke just a month later. Sania was only two years old.
After that, the sisters were raised apart—her elder sister with their paternal grandparents, and Sania with her nana and nanu. Her grandfather, a cattle herder, worked hard to care for her. One day, while grazing cows near the Umbrelă Foundation, he met one of our staff and learned about the safe home and education we provide. Hoping for a better future for Sania, he brought her to us.
That was three years ago. Sania began her schooling at Imratunnesa and now studies in Class 8 at Umbrelă Academy.
She remembers her early struggles: “I wanted to study but couldn’t understand anything. There was no one to help me, so I gave up.” At Umbrelă, that changed. “Now if I don’t understand something, teachers explain it again and again. I can finally learn.”
“At Umbrelă, I have everything—education, food, shelter. Everything I need.”
Her grandmother dreams of seeing her become a police officer—strong and brave enough to one day uncover the truth behind her father’s death. Sania once shared that dream. But after visiting a book fair and hearing people speak with admiration about poets, her heart shifted. “I want to be respected like that. I want to be a poet.”
Today, Sania finds peace in reading and writing poetry. She loves chocolates and enjoys quiet time with her books— though she sometimes joins her friends for games too.
This isn’t just Sania’s story—it’s the story of every child who’s been left behind, yet finds light through love, opportunity, and a second chance. For Sania, Umbrelă isn’t just a shelter—it’s the place where she’s painting her dreams, one day at a time.
With your support, Sania can keep walking this path. Will you help her dreams take flight?