"My name is Gul Dasta. I live in the narrow lanes of Shah Alam, Peshawar lanes that echo with the struggles of ordinary people, the hopes of poor families, and the silent dreams of children who deserve a better future.
My life appears simple on the outside, but behind it lies a story of pain patience and a battle that only those who have tasted hardship can understand.

I am the mother of six children, six small hearts who depend on me for everything. Each child is a piece of my soul, a light in my difficult life. But instead of enjoying their childhood, they are trapped in a life where hunger uncertainty and the absence of opportunity are constant companions. My children do not go to school-not because they don't want to but because life has closed many doors on us. Every morning when they look at me, I can see in their eyes the desire to learn to study to become something. But my helplessness stops me from giving them the life they deserve.

People in the community know me as“Gul Dasta Mochi.” For the last four years, I have been working as a cobbler. I repair broken shoes, stitch torn seams, and bring old shoes back to life. Every shoe I mend carries with it a hope the hope of earning enough for a meal for a day's survival for my children's medicine. Some days are good, and some are painfully slow. Some customers keep their promises others never return. But I keep going because stopping is not an option for me.

My husband passed away several years ago. The day he died, it felt like the world collapsed around me.
Life suddenly became a mountain. I had to climb alone with six young children behind me, looking up at me for support.
In that moment of heartbreak۔ I made a silent promise to myself:“Gul Dasta, you will not break. You will fight, you will stand, and you will build a future for your children with your own hands.” That promise has carried me through every dark night and every difficult day.

At that time, I didn't know any skill, nor did I understand how life could become so heavy. But life gave me only one choice: to fight back. So I gathered all my courage and started learning shoe repair. Some people joked, some judged some were surprised to see a woman doing such work but when you have hungry children at home pride is a luxury you cannot afford.

People often help me by buying cobbler tools and materials. These small acts of kindness are not just donations for me
they are rays of humanity that brighten the dark corners of my life. With every piece of material I receive, I feel a little less alone in this world.

Besides my cobbler work
I also serve as a community reporter. I document the struggles of the women children widows and poor families in my area. I listen to their stories stories filled with pain, hunger, hope, and strength. Many times, what I see breaks my heart: widows with no support, children without education families fighting for basic needs. But I take my responsibility seriously because I know how important it is for their voices to be heard. I am their voice because I understand their pain. I live the same pain every day.

My daily routine is simple but heavy.
I wake up early and see the hopeful faces of my children prepare what little food I can and then go out into the streets. I set up my small setup, collect shoes, work long hours, smile through my exhaustion, and return home with whatever I earn. In the evening, when I place even a small meal in front of my children, my heart finds a little peace because I know I fought for them one more day.

My story is not just about pain. It is a story of strength of refusing to give up of standing firm even when life pushes you down. I am a mother, a worker, a reporter, and a survivor. I am a reminder that even when life hurts you deeply, there's always a small light of hope burning inside you.

I am Gul Dasta. And I will continue fighting until the day
I can shape my children's future, not through struggle but through opportunity and dignity."

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