School was never easy. I walked nearly an hour every day because we couldn't afford transportation. My uniform was old and faded, and sometimes other children laughed at me.
But I learned something powerful during those years: pain can either break you or build you.
Instead of giving up, I studied harder. I read every book I could find. Even old newspapers became my teachers.
After school, I helped my mother sell fruits. Some people ignored us, some people were kind, and some people tried to cheat us.
But every coin we earned meant survival.