Growing up in a small village outside Mirpur, Pakistan, Bushra Khatoon knew what struggle looked like. When her father passed away suddenly, her mother was left alone with three young children and almost nothing to live on.
“I still remember how quiet our home became after his death,” Bushra says. “Not just because we missed him, but because worry took over.”
Her mother worked tirelessly, taking on whatever small jobs she could find. But there were many days when there simply wasn’t enough to eat.
“Even as a child, I understood what poverty meant,” Bushra recalls. “Sometimes I went to school without breakfast. But when I arrived and was given a meal, it felt like a blessing. That food gave me energy to learn — and reminded me that someone out there cared.”
A Chance to Learn and Dream
That someone was Ummah Care Foundation (UCF). Through their support, Bushra was able to attend school, receive regular meals, and find stability at a time when her world felt uncertain.
“It was only because of UCF that I was able to go to school at all,” she says. “They helped my mother when everything felt impossible. For the first time, I felt my future could be different from my past.”
As Bushra grew, so did her ambition. With UCF’s help, she not only completed school but became the first in her family to go to college.
Breaking Barriers for Girls’ Education
Today, Bushra is studying business (I.Com) at the prestigious Punjab College, where she continues to be supported by UCF.
“There is still a lot of pressure on girls to marry young,” she explains. “Sometimes people don’t take your education seriously if you are a girl. But I want to succeed and make something of myself. My teachers inspire me to believe that girls can achieve just as much as boys if we are given the chance.”
Bushra loves the comfortable, supportive environment at college — and the hot meals that remind her of where her journey began. Surrounded by other girls determined to study and build better futures, she sees herself not just as a student, but as part of a growing generation of change-makers.
Feeding Hope, Not Just Hunger
“I am deeply thankful to UCF for changing my life,” Bushra says. “Without their help, I might never have had the chance to study or believe in a better future. Their support didn’t just feed my hunger — it fed my hope.”
Bushra (left) during her studies at Punjab College, New Mirpur City, Pakistan
