Fahim triumphed against all odds, only to be silenced by death

22-year old Fahimul Karim of Magura was known as the man who defied expectations constantly pushing the efforts of mental and physical endurance. Diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) disease in 2012, all of Fahim's body except two fingers of his right hand had come to become weak, as the muscles started to wear down over time. 

Bedridden for his condition, Fahim highlighted a streak of hard willed determination to get back up, taking cues from his idol, the late great Stephen Hawking, who similarly had his own trials and tribulations with motor neuron disease.

Despite passing his JSC exams with excellence, he could not continue further studies and had to resort to other means of building a life for himself and supplementing his family's income. His pursue of treatment across the border also remained incomplete due to lack of money. Buying his first phone with the honorarium he got from tutoring children, he exposed himself to the machinations of the internet, exploring Google, YouTube, and Facebook, the latter of which paved his way into the global freelancing network.

Unable to work on his phone and not being able to afford a computer, Fahim relied on good Samaritans from the online community to help him learn the necessary skills and read the technical know-how on to get started on his journey. Using the money earned by his mother in selling hand-sewn quilts and a bank loan, Fahim bought his first laptop and DVDs to learn graphic designing, as he could not afford internet in the beginning. 

Turning tides

After learning how to design business cards and banners, he opened up his Fiverr account in 2017, scooping up his first client at $15 with excellent reviews and feedback. Honing his technical and English communications skills, Fahim, later on, went on to become a successful freelancer, working day and night, despite his disabilities. 

Slowly progressing from Level One to Level Two in his Fiverr work experience, he decided to open up accounts in Upwork as well to give himself an extra boost. Till date, Fahim has worked for clients from approximately 30 countries specializing mainly in graphic design and before the pandemic hit the country; his monthly income hit $300 a month on average. His highest monthly income before the onset of the pandemic accounted to $800.

With the money he earned, within two years, Fahim was able to cover all the educational costs of his younger sister. He bought a property for his family and his long-term goal was to help people like him who suffered the devastating effects of unemployment that rendered many like him in a quagmire of helplessness and uncertainty. 

Not wanting to be the only beneficiary from outsourcing and willing to give back to the community, he also took initiatives to help 50 youths across the country introducing them to outsourcing. In a country with chronic unemployment increasing in the midst of a deadly pandemic, Fahim wanted to promote freelancing and outsourcing as a lifeline that could lift many people out of their gloomy prognosis, as it had done for him.

Due to his already debilitating disease, Fahim constantly struggled and as the days went by, his health had started to worsen. Taken to Faridpur Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, 11 November 2020, Fahim breathed his last at 10:45 that night.