Shahin's story

When Shahin was 2 ½ when her father died. She didn't say from what. She said that he had land, but because he had two daughters and no sons the uncles took the land and her mother didn't get any of it. Also when she was little there were some family problems and one of her aunts was angry at her mother and father so they burned Shahin's feet. Now her toes stickup at a 90-degree angle from her feet so she cannot wear shoes.

Sometime after her father's death her mother remarried, but the man would not accept the two girls so they were sent to Dhaka to an aunt's house. She couldn't keep them because she had her own and couldn't afford to feed them so she put them in an orphanage. They were abused in the orphanage so she eventually took them out and put them in another orphanage.

Her sister went to school, but because Shahin couldn't wear shoes and on the way to the school there was "broken glass" and also was so rough she couldn't walk the path so she couldn't attend school. When her sister got through with school the orphanage said that they both had to leave to make room for younger children.

Shahin and Shethen returned to their mother's village, but she now had other children and could not afford to keep them.

Her sister, Shethen, came back to Dhaka and started working in a garment factory. Shethen sent for Shahin to come, but she said that she didn't want her to work in a garment factory, as it was just too bad. Shethen went to work at 8:00am and often would have to stand all day and work until 1:00 am.

Shethen and Shahin were subletting with a girl that worked at Pollywog. They asked if by chance there were any openings there and if she would see if Shahin could work there. That is how Shahin came to Pollywog.

Shahin is almost always the first one to work in the morning, coming in about 1/2 hour before time. I don't think she has missed a day this year. She didn't all last year. She will often do hard things and things that need to be done special. She has a wonderful spirit. Her eyes are very big and of course dark, but also when she was telling me this story I could sense the pain in them. She said that since she has worked at Pollywog things have been better.

At the end of Ramadan they have a special day and last year she invited me to her home. I went and she was so happy. She spent money to buy me food knowing I was a vegetarian.

I wasn't very observant and didn't even notice Shahin's limp until the day that I gave everyone shoes to wear on the cement floors when it was so cold. I gave each of them a number as they came to work. She was the first one so had number 1. I let her come in and have a pick of the first pair. Oh to my horror when I saw her feet and realized that she couldn't wear shoes.

I am too tired to write this like I would like to, but thought it might make the "Wolf" piece have a little more personal touch. It sure made me want to keep working hard to keep Pollywog going.

Pauline Davis,

Director of Pollywog Handicrafts

Bangladesh.