The Sultana Begam Story — a 21-year-old from a small Jharkhand village turns loss and hardship into a steely resolve to serve.

Name    Sultana Begam

Age    21 years

Father    Abdul Aleem (late)

Mother    Mumtaz Begam

Nature    Cheerful, curious and hardworking

Pakur Jharkhand      

In the pink-walled reading hall of the Master Sobran Manjhi Library, a young mind in a black hijab leans over an open book, her finger tracing the words. It is a familiar sight for Sultana Begam, 21, who has made this corner of the library her second home as she prepares for the competitive examinations that she hopes will one day put her in the Indian Police Service.      

Sultana is an alumna of the Girl Child Learning Centre (GCLC) at Raghunandanpur (LC-00166) — a centre sponsored by Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives Pvt. Ltd., supported by IIMPACT and run by FACE. It was here that her journey began.    

Born on 2 April 2006 in Anjana, a small village in Jharkhand's Pakur district, Sultana grew up in a modest rural household. Her father, Abdul Aleem, worked as a rural social worker but was frequently unwell, and he passed away about five years ago. His death left the family with heavier responsibilities and a tighter budget. Her mother, Mumtaz Begam, rolls bidis and runs the household.

Sultana's formal learning began at GCLC Raghunandanpur, where she learned to read and write and came to understand what education could do for a life like hers. The centre nurtured her interest in learning, built her confidence and encouraged her to dream of a better future.

A hardworking and meritorious student, Sultana was consistently among the top performers at the centre. She went on to top her college in the Intermediate final examination and is now pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English Honours (B.A., Semester VI).

Sultana teaches children at a coaching centre — work that helps fund her own education and personal needs.

The years after her father's death were hard, but Sultana never wavered in her determination to keep studying. Alongside her degree, she prepares for competitive examinations and studies regularly at the Master Sobran Manjhi Library in Pakur. She also teaches children at a coaching centre, earning an income that supports her educational expenses.

Between classes and coaching, she spends long hours among the shelves — reading, preparing and setting an example for others.

At home, she helps her younger siblings with their studies. For Sultana, education is not merely a means of gaining knowledge; it is a powerful tool for building confidence, achieving self-reliance and creating a better future.

Her greatest ambition is to become an IPS officer. She is working towards it with discipline — managing her time, pursuing her higher education, preparing for competitive examinations, teaching children and supporting her family — one page, one student and one exam at a time.

About The Centre

The Girl Child Learning Centre (GCLC) at Raghunandanpur (LC-00166) is sponsored by Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives Pvt. Ltd., supported by IIMPACT and run by FACE. The centre gives girls from underserved rural communities a foundation in literacy and a pathway into formal schooling — a beginning that, for students like Sultana Begam, has stretched all the way to a university classroom and a career ambition.