A 45-year-old Hyderabad traffic home guard, who had to discontinue his studies because of financial constraints, is determined to educate his daughters and works extra hours as an auto driver to fulfil his daughter’s dreams.
I had to discontinue my intermediate, but I dream of seeing my four daughters and son successful so that they don’t have to live with financial crisis. So I decided that after my duty hours, I will drive an auto to earn extra money.Jaweed Khan, 45-year-old Hyderabad traffic home guard to The News Minute
Jaweed has been working as a traffic home guard at Saifabad for over 17 years now. However, five years back when his daughter topped the school in Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination, he realised he should encourage her to study further.
My daughters are working extra hard to make me proud, so I feel this is my duty to work hard for them.Jaweed Khan
His elder daughter, who has been pursuing her BBA second year from Badruka College in Kachiguda, wants to become a Chartered Accountant (CA).
However, managing his daughter’s education expenses was not easy for him. Apart from her college fee, Jaweed managed to get her coaching classes for the Common Proficiency Test (CPT) exam by arranging Rs 21,000.
I was so happy when she cleared CPT exam. However, for Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC) which is the next level exam for CA, she had to again join coaching classes. For registration alone we paid Rs 10,000 and the coaching classes cost Rs 52,000.Jaweed Khan
Though he was worried about the expenses of the course, he refused to give up and borrowed money from his relatives and friends to pay for her course.
“On Sunday she gave her IPCC exam. I feel satisfied that my financial problem is not affecting her dreams and ambitions,” he adds.
Apart from his elder daughter, Jaweed has to arrange monthly school fees of around Rs 2,000 for his four other children studying in a private school.
Jaweed works as a traffic home guard at Saifabad near Iqbal Minar area for 8 hours, from 7 am to 3 pm.
He then takes rest for 30 minutes and drives an auto rickshaw till 11 pm. Some days, when his home guard shift starts from 2 pm to 10 pm, he drives his auto after his shift till midnight.
Some days I manage to get only four hours sleep, but when I think about their education, I forget about my tiring day.Jaweed Khan
With his home guard service, he earns Rs 12,000 and makes near Rs 300 everyday by driving the auto rickshaw. Even though with his busy schedule he hardly gets time to spend time with his family, he manages to take his family out once in a month and spends a whole day with them.
His greatest support system is his wife, Yasmeen Begum, who does not leave any stone unturned to help him financially and emotionally, by doing embroidery work on saris.
However, even then, he says, he could barely make ends meet, but he does not want to compromise on their education.
When he reads in newspapers about parents marrying off their daughters because they are unable to pay money for their education, he feels education is a right of every child and people should not take away that right from them.
Khan says:
Daughters are the assets of the family. An educated woman can educate the whole family. I never want to take away that opportunity from them. Even today, when all my daughter’s friends have smartphones, she never demanded anything like that. She understands me and supports my effort by studying hard to make me proud.
On Monday, Hyderabad MP and President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Asaduddin Owaisi reportedly urged the Telangana government to help Jaweed.
The minister wrote a letter to the secretary of the Minorities Welfare Department, requesting him to sanction scholarships for Jaweed’s children.
(This piece has been published in arrangement with The News Minute)
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