An particular influence was the Badar Siddiqui, the Trust's chief and a social worker, who convinced Shaikh that education, for both men and women, was critical. But it wasn't easy. Shaikh's neighbors said his actions brought dishonor upon the entire village. He broke many local taboos, including a centuries-old tradition. Others complained they needed their children to work.
Girls help both their fathers in the fields and their mothers in the kitchen.
But I did not pay any heed to these things, because I knew that I was not doing anything wrong. Zohra made the best of her high school education. With good grades, she was accepted to an intermediate college located 100 kilometers away from her village. Since the family could hardly manage to bear boarding expenses, she simply commuted daily. I used to cover the distance by bus.