Saila, 17-year-old girl, dreams to become a doctor.

Saila is 17.

She lives in a small village in Rohri, with her parents.

She dreams to become a doctor, but most days, it feels like it is completely out of reach. She wants to become a doctor, because she has been watching her mother be sick for years in a community with almost no female doctors.

Her father farms as a daily wage worker. Her mother is unwell. When I first heard about Saila, she was still in 8th class. I went to meet her family before she even finished school, because I could already see what was coming. I talked to them. I addressed every concern they raised: safety, distance, what the neighbors would say. They said no anyway.

I kept coming back. Eventually, they agreed, but with conditions. They agreed to her admission with conditions that she was only allowed to attend classes with intermittent time.

What she told me stays with me:

“I wish I were a boy. There would be no restrictions. I wear my uniform, but no one comes to pick me up. If I were a boy, I’d go on my own — no one would ask me where I’m going.”

She attends Knowledge Point when she can. She’s still trying.

Her family still doesn’t allow her to attend regular classes or collect her admit card for exams. I’m trying to support her through this tough situation. We’ll continue trying.

Written by Sana Ijaz, April 2026.