Afia Adiba Hafsa

Afia Adiba Hafsa (17), is from Bangladesh. After moving from Dhaka to Bhaluka, Mymensingh, Afia saw how poverty and factory work affected children’s access to education. Many children of garment workers took on adult responsibilities, while financial hardship pushed education down the list of priorities. Afia wanted to help break that cycle.

Through Project Gyanjyoti, Afia worked with her school and classmates to reach families and encourage them to prioritize education. She created documentaries and visual materials showing how education can improve children’s lives, and visited homes to speak directly with parents and children.

Her efforts helped 40-50 children who were out of school enroll in formal or non-formal education programs. She also led workshops reaching 120-150 children with life skills on health, hygiene and personal rights. In one set of programs, more than 300 people attended in person and 760 joined online, creating wider conversations about child safety. Her work even led her school to begin a preliminary safety review.