From fish-drying child labourer to divisional sprint champion: Zobaida’s race against the odds
Born into a climate-displaced family in Chowfaldandi, Cox’s Bazar, Zobaida’s childhood was marked by hardship.
Just two years ago, Zobaida spent her days working in a fish-drying factory along the coast of Cox's Bazar to help her family survive.
The 11-year-old today (10 June) became the Chattogram divisional champion in the girls' 100-metre sprint at the PTI School Ground, proving how opportunity and determination can transform a child's future.
Born into a climate-displaced family in Chowfaldandi, Cox's Bazar, Zobaida's childhood was marked by hardship. After losing her father at a young age, she joined her mother at a local fish-drying factory to contribute to the family's income.
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The demanding work left little room for education or dreams of a different future.
That began to change in 2023 when field workers from Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) identified Zobaida through its FREE KIDS project and helped remove her from child labour. The organisation enrolled her in school and provided educational support, learning materials, and pre-school assistance to help her catch up academically.
Alongside support for Zobaida, the programme also worked with her family. Her mother, Nurjahan, received livelihood training, assistance for poultry rearing, and agricultural inputs, including seeds and fertiliser.
The support helped increase household income and reduce the family's dependence on child labour.
The intervention significantly changed the course of her life. Now a Class V student at Dakshin Rakhainpara Primary School in Cox's Bazar Sadar, Zobaida is pursuing both her education and her growing passion for athletics.
In 2025 and 2026, she won the Cox's Bazar district championship in the girls' 100-metre sprint under the National Primary Education Medal Competition. This year, she went a step further, becoming champion at the Chattogram divisional level.
Speaking after her latest victory, Zobaida said she hopes to compete on even bigger stages in the future.
"I became champion competing against participants from across the division. I want to go further and compete at national and international levels," she said.
For her mother, the achievement is deeply emotional.
"I am very happy to see my fatherless daughter reach this stage," Nurjahan said. "Young Power and her school have supported her greatly. If more people come forward to help, my daughter can become a successful athlete one day."
Mohammad Ali Shahin, head of advocacy at Young Power in Social Action, said Zobaida's success carries significance beyond winning a race.
"Many children come first in competitions, but Zobaida's achievement is different," he said. "We brought her out of a fish-drying factory and enrolled her in school. With support from the school and the project, she has been able to develop her talent and pursue her dreams."
Shahin Akter, head teacher of Dakshin Rakhainpara Primary School, said Zobaida comes from a highly vulnerable family and had to work alongside her studies to support her household.
"While she is an average student academically, she has exceptional talent in athletics. Once we identified her potential, we encouraged her to participate in various competitions. She proved herself at every stage, becoming champion at the upazila, district and now divisional levels, which has made us immensely proud," she said.
"If she receives adequate support from both government and non-government organisations, I believe she has the potential to become a national-level athlete," Shahin added.
Zobaida's story reflects the challenges facing many climate-displaced families in Bangladesh's coastal regions, where poverty and environmental pressures often push children into work at an early age.
It also highlights the role that integrated support programmes can play in breaking that cycle. By combining education, child protection and livelihood assistance for families, such initiatives can create pathways for vulnerable children to return to school and realise their potential.
Implemented by Young Power in Social Action with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Solidar Suisse Bangladesh, the FREE KIDS project works to reduce hazardous child labour among climate-displaced families in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar.
For Zobaida, the journey from a fish-drying factory to a divisional athletics podium is already remarkable. Yet she sees it as only the beginning of a much longer race.
