By Anuwar Sadek

For many children in the Rohingya community, aiming at birds is both a game and a quiet passion. Arakan was once full of blessings and its skies alive with countless birds whose sweet songs filled the air and brought joy to the land.

Abu Kalam, a twelve-year-old boy, is the son of Abu Siddek and a student of Life Destination High School, living in Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh. Even in a place where animals and birds are now rare, Kalam finds happiness holding a simple slingshot in his hand, pretending to shoot at birds as children once did back home.

Seeing the slingshot in Kalam’s hands pulls me into a deep flashback of Arakan. I remember our student days clearly. We used to gather together, imitating hunters, and travel toward the mountains. Each of us carried a slingshot, our hearts filled with excitement as we aimed at birds under the open sky.

Those were magnificent days. Rohingya youths would go on picnics, sharing food, laughter, and stories after hunting birds. The simple slingshot brought us joy, peace, and unity, strengthening our bonds with one another and with nature.

Though Abu Kalam is still young, he carries within him the memories of a life he barely lived. Through his innocent play, he revives the lost traditions and simple joys of Rohingya life in Arakan, memories that refuse to fade, even in exile.

#livelihood #Childhood #Memory #Slingshot #Arakan