A photographer named GMB Akash from Bangladesh takes photography of everyday in the lives of the people in his country. He created portraits and marvelous stories.
He won more than 100 international awards and his pictures were published in the most influencing magazines such as the National Geographic, Vogue, Times and Dr. Spiegel.
This is the story of a father. A father who never got the chance to go to school. Everyday was a struggle for him to earn enough money so his daughters could learn..
Here is his heartbreaking story:
I never told my daughters where I work. I didn’t want them to be ashamed of me. When my younger daughter asked me what I do, I’d hesitately tell her that I’m a worker.
Before I returned home every day, I used to shower in the public toilets so they won’t get a clue for what I do. I wanted my daughters to go to school, to earn education. I wanted them to stand with honor and dignity infront of people. I didn’t want no one to show off or disrespect them the way they did to me. People always humiliated me.
Every penny I earned was invested in my daughters’ education. I never bought a new shirt, instead I bought them books. Respect, that’s all I wanted for myself. I was a streets cleaner.
A day before the final day to sign up the university, I couldn’t raise enough money to sign my daughter. I couldn’t work that day. I was sitting by the side next to a dumpster and tried to hide the tears in my eyes.
All my friends at work looked at me but no one came to talk to me. I failed and my heart got broken. I didn’t know how to stand infront of my daughter when she will ask about the sign up when I return home.
I was born to be poor. I believe that nothing good can happend to a poor man. After work all cleaners used to come to me, sit next to me, and ask me if I considered them as brothers. Before I answered, they gave me all the money they earned that day.
When I tried to refuse everyone, they said “We will starve today if we need, but your daughter has to go to the university”. I couldn’t answer them. That day I didn’t shower, I came back home as a street cleaner.
My daughter will soon finish the university. Three of my daughters won’t let me go to work anymore. The daughter that studies in the university works part time, and the other three work as guides. But sometimes she takes me to my work place and prepares lunch to all the workers who work with me.
They laugh and ask her why does she feed them so often. My daughter told them “You all starved that day so that I can become what I am today, so I pray that I can keep feeding you every day”. Today I no longer feel like a poor man. For those who have children – they can never be poor! – Idris.
Here’s Idris’ original post from Facebook: