Jubli Spends Final Eid with Children, Expressing Hope for Their Future in Loving Homes
Photo Collected
For Jubli Begum, the deputy superintendent of the Chhotomoni Nibash in Dhaka’s Azimpur, this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr marked a poignant milestone as she celebrated the festival with the children under her care for the final time before her retirement. After nearly a decade dedicated to the welfare of abandoned and rescued children, Begum is set to step down from her official duties on June 1, bringing a formal end to a career defined by resilience and advocacy.
Begum joined the government-run facility in November 2016. Since then, she has navigated the complexities of caring for vulnerable children, often serving as the primary figure in their lives. Her professional journey, which began with the Department of Social Services in 1997, culminated in her role at the Chhotomoni Nibash, an institution that provides a sanctuary for children ranging from infancy to seven years of age. Currently, the Azimpur home houses 34 children, ranging from three-month-old infants to those over six.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Reflecting on her career, Begum identifies the facilitation of legal guardianship for nearly 300 children as her most significant achievement. By navigating the legal processes required for adoption, she has ensured that many of these children found permanent homes, both within Bangladesh and internationally, including families in the United States. While many adoptive parents choose to sever contact to protect the child’s privacy, others remain in touch, occasionally facilitating calls between the children and the woman they affectionately call “Khalamoni” (aunt).
Despite the successes, Begum’s tenure has not been without profound challenges and heartbreak. She recounts the difficulties of securing permanent homes for children with disabilities or those with chronic health issues, such as a child who underwent successful cancer treatment but remains without a permanent guardian. She also carries the memory of two children who succumbed to complications from measles, an outbreak that recently strained the facility’s limited resources and forced her to coordinate emergency hospital care for several others.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The Chhotomoni Nibash currently faces significant operational hurdles, including persistent staff shortages in essential roles such as medical personnel. With a government allocation of 5,000 taka per child, the facility relies heavily on private donations and institutional support to cover food, clothing, and other necessities. Begum notes that while the government provides the core budget, the kindness of individual donors remains vital to the children’s well-being during holidays and daily life.
As she prepares for life after retirement, Begum admits to a sense of uncertainty about leaving the vibrant, noisy environment of the nursery. Though she plans to visit the children as a private citizen, she acknowledges that the dynamic of the institution will change once she departs. Having spent years enduring personal societal scrutiny while maintaining her dignity, she views her exit not as a cessation of her concern, but as a transition into a new chapter. She remains hopeful that the children who have become her extended family will continue to thrive in the years ahead.
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