For much of her childhood, Priyanka Das could only imagine what it would be like to sit inside a classroom.
Today, at 12 years old, she is studying in Grade 5 at The Yahweh Mission School in Gonali, Bangladesh. She has books to open, teachers who encourage her, friends to learn alongside, and something she once struggled to imagine—a dream for her future.
Priyanka wants to become a teacher.
Her journey to that dream, however, has not been easy.
Priyanka was born into a family facing severe poverty. She is one of four sisters, and during her early childhood her father worked at a brick kiln.
For a period of time, the family lived around the brick-kiln environment as they tried to survive on the limited income available to them.
Education was simply beyond their reach.
When Priyanka was about seven years old, her family circumstances became even more difficult. Her father separated from the family and eventually stopped providing regular financial support.
Priyanka’s mother was suddenly left with the enormous responsibility of caring for four daughters with very few resources.
There were days when the family struggled even to find enough food.
School fees, books, uniforms, and learning materials were not things they could afford to think about when the immediate concern was simply making it through another day.
Determined to provide for her daughters, Priyanka’s mother began working as a daily wage laborer.
She worked wherever she could find an opportunity—often spending long days under the sun or rain, working in other people’s fields.
The family also made small bamboo baskets and mats traditionally used for drying fish to earn additional income.
Priyanka helped whenever she could.
During the day, she sometimes assisted her mother. At home, she helped with cooking, cleaning, and other household responsibilities. At night, she would sit beside her mother and help make bamboo products.
Childhood became filled with responsibilities that left little space for education.
For Priyanka, the possibility of attending school seemed increasingly distant.
Then one day, something unexpected happened.
Joy Sarker from The Yahweh Mission visited Priyanka’s home.
During the visit, he spoke with the family about The Yahweh Mission School and told Priyanka that there was an opportunity for her to begin learning.
For a child who had spent years without access to regular education, that conversation represented something far greater than an invitation to school.
It was an opportunity.
Priyanka began attending classes.
For the first time, she found herself in an environment where teachers encouraged her to learn, ask questions, discover new things, and believe that her circumstances did not have to determine her future.
The Yahweh Mission’s support did not stop at the classroom.
The mission began providing practical assistance to help Priyanka and her family manage some of the challenges surrounding them.
She received educational materials and hygiene supplies, along with food and nutritional support when available. The mission has also stood alongside her during periods of illness.
Most importantly, Priyanka was given the stability and encouragement needed to continue her education.
Today, another one of Priyanka’s sisters also attends The Yahweh Mission School and is studying in nursery.
Two sisters who once had very limited access to education are now learning together.
For their mother, seeing her daughters in school has brought new hope after years of struggle.
Priyanka remembers what life looked like before she began attending school.
She remembers helping her mother work.
She remembers the uncertainty surrounding food.
She remembers what it felt like to have almost no opportunity to study.
Those memories have not disappeared.
But today, they no longer define what she believes her future can become.
Priyanka now wants to become a teacher.
She hopes that by continuing her education, she will one day be able to support her family, help her mother, and give other children the same opportunity that changed her own life.
In Priyanka’s words:
“My past life was very difficult. It was hard to think about the future. But my life today is giving me new hope. I want to become a teacher, and I hope I will succeed.”
For Priyanka, education has become more than learning to read, write, and complete schoolwork.
It has given her permission to dream.
Priyanka’s story is one example of why The Yahweh Mission believes so deeply in education.
Poverty can tell a child that their choices are limited.
Education can tell them something different.
It can show them that they have abilities worth developing, dreams worth pursuing, and a future that can look different from the circumstances into which they were born.
Priyanka’s journey is still being written.
There will be challenges ahead, and no single program can remove every difficulty faced by her family. But today, she is no longer standing outside the opportunity to learn.
She is inside the classroom.
She is studying.
She is growing.
And she is dreaming of the day when she can stand at the front of a classroom herself and help another child discover what is possible.
Children like Priyanka need more than a single moment of assistance. They need consistent access to education, learning materials, nutrition, healthcare, encouragement, and people who are willing to stand beside them as they grow.
Your prayers, sponsorship, donations, and support can help The Yahweh Mission continue creating opportunities for children and families facing circumstances like hers.
A child’s circumstances may shape where their story begins—but with opportunity, they do not have to determine where it ends.
The Yahweh Mission — Where Possibilities Become Opportunities.
