Shameem was born in a small village inPakistan. In her village, it was a tradition to keep girls inside their homes.They were not allowed to get an education.
Fortunately, Shameem's uncle, a universityteacher, wanted to give her a chance to see the world. He offered Shameem achance to attend school. So she became the only girl student in her class.
However, Shameem struggled to complete herschooling. To get permission for college, she went on three-day- hunger strike (抗议). After graduating from college, Shameem got a position innon-profit organization (非营利性组织) working to help womenin rural (农村的) areas.
There, she saw a Pakistan that she didn'tknow. Until then, she thought she had a difficult life. But there, she saw whatwomen in other parts of Pakistan were experiencing. Some women had 11 children,but nothing to feed them. They would walk three hours every day to get water.
Shameem found that the position was morethan just a job for her. She discovered her power. By setting an example, herexperience could encourage more people to understand the importance ofeducation and send their daughters to school.
Now, Shameem teaches in a rural school inher hometown. "The first day I walked into the school," she said, "Isaw all these little Shameems staring at me with dreams in their eyes, the samedream of freedom which I had in my childhood."
Today, there is not a single girl in hervillage who doesn't go to school.
