The Courage to Begin AgainThe Courage to Begin Again

In the garment belt of Gazipur, where long shifts and harsh judgments fall hardest on single mothers, UNICEF, with support from Gina Tricot, is helping mothers like Pinky on their brave journey to build safe and nurturing childhoods for their children.

Mornings for Pinky do not begin gently. They begin with sound, the first call from the street vendor, the metal clang of shutters rising, the quick rhythm of footsteps on concrete. The sky is often pale, undecided. The air smells faintly of dust, boiled rice, exhaust.

She was sixteen when she married and began working in a garment factory along with her husband. Their days unfolded in long stretches, comprising fabric, thread, heat, and the sharp discipline of production. Each month, she set aside a little from her wages, small notes folded carefully, saved with one thought in mind. Her family.

But even the most careful plans can come undone.

Her husband drifted in and out of work, and financial strain slowly tightened around the household. Little by little, the weight of the household shifted. What once felt shared began to weigh heavily on her.

A child, and a mother’s last hope to rebuild what was lost

After four and a half years of marriage, Pinky began to think of having a child. She hoped the responsibility of being a father would soften the situation. 

Her son was born.

She named him Muhammad.

When she remembers those early days, she remembers how a newborn’s breath changes the air in a room. But sometimes, that is not enough.

When Muhammad turned three, Pinky made the difficult but necessary decision of ending her marriage, which would in turn reshape her future. And her reason for doing so was solely to provide her son with a safe and beautiful future.

Under the Weight of Watching Eyes

Afterwards, Pinky’s life became simpler in structure but harder in practice.

She worked from early morning to late at night. Her mother, Muhammad’s grandmother, looked after him during the day. Her mother had a waist problem. Still, she cared for Muhammad, fed him, cleaned him and distracted him from missing his mother.

Pinky used to be worried as it became difficult to focus on her work.  There were other difficulties too. People looked at her with a kind of curiosity that did not feel kind. Pinky neither argued with them nor defended herself. She quietly and gracefully became her own guardian.

She focused on work, on paying rent, on feeding her child, on returning home with enough energy to check whether Muhammad had eaten. There were days when her body moved on habit alone. And always, beneath everything, there was the same fear: if she left her child behind, who would keep him safe?

Surabari: A Place Where Childhood Stays Safe

It was then that she found the UNICEF-supported Surabari Day Care Center.

At first, she did not expect much. She only needed a place where Muhammad could be watched. But what she found was something else. A room with children’s voices. A routine. Engaging activities. Teachers who spoke to the children with patience and compassion!

This was the kind of attention that made Pinky feel, for the first time in a long time, that she was not alone in her motherhood.

Muhammad learned things there that Pinky hadn’t realised could be taught in such gentle and profound ways. He learned his name, address, and his parents’ names. He also learned to greet people and hold a pen.

Even meals, once difficult, became calmer. The tantrums lessened, as if regular care had reached places inside him that exhaustion could not. And while he used to resist studying, now he impatiently waits to go back to the day-care centre.

Not too long ago, when Muhammad fell ill, the caregivers ensured he was looked after. In the day-care centre, he feels safe in a way that settles his small shoulders. He is guided gently, and in that steady rhythm, he begins to trust, the room, the people, and even himself.

For Pinky, these all meant she could work without being in constant fear, especially when her son is in good hands.

It gave her something she hadn’t felt in a long time and that was as something as simple yet so rare as peace.

The Factory Floor, the Future, and a Quiet Prayer

“When he is older, I hope he won’t misunderstand me.”

Now Pinky works in the production unit of a reputed garment factory in Gazipur, usually from 8 in the morning until 10 at night. Her supervisor values her work. Pinky is careful and consistent.

Because her home and the day-care centre are nearby, Pinky can focus better. She can work with fewer worries.

When asked about Muhammad, Pinky does not dream out loud of professions. She speaks instead of the kind of person she hopes her son will become. “A good human being,” she says. And then, quietly, “When he is older, I hope he won’t misunderstand me. Everything I did, I did it only for him.”

Standing with mothers in the hardest hours, so children can grow in the gentlest ones

With the support of partners like Gina Tricot, UNICEF continues to strengthen child protection and early childhood development initiatives, ensuring children like Muhammad have access to safe care, nurturing learning environments, and a childhood protected from harm.

Through UNICEF-supported day-care centres, working mothers, especially those facing hardship, can continue earning a livelihood without being forced to choose between income and their child’s safety.

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UNICEF sincerely thanks Gina Tricot for standing with children and families in Bangladesh, and for supporting initiatives that help ensure safe care, early learning, and protection for children, while empowering working mothers to earn a livelihood with peace of mind.