Firstly, thank you so much for all of the interest and comments on yesterday’s blog, please do keep them coming. Our young budding writers are still hard at work on their stories and it has been wonderful getting their parents and families involved in the process too. I’ve included a few more stories today, I hope they will help to paint a picture of what life is like here and how hard these kids are working for a better future. I love the story about the pigeons as it shows emotion and it makes me smile, I hope you enjoy them.
Future Doctor hard at Work
“We are five members in our family. We have one cow and a calf, we also have one goat. I take our calf to the field to feed grass. When I take our cow to the field it doesn’t hit me (with its horns). We are two brothers and one sister. We two brothers do study. My sister works at Bogra. My sister does nursing. My father is a day labourer. My mother is also a day labourer. Both my mother and father go to the field for work at 8am and come back at 4pm. We keep our family and surrounding very neat and clean. Our family is very happy.”
We two brothers go to school at 9am. Our school is 5km far away. We go to school and come back by our bicycle together. Our teacher loves us very much because we give our daily homework that’s why they love us.
I get up from sleep at 4am and then I enjoy the fresh air in the morning and I brush my teeth. I wash my face after and then I start my study, I study up to 8am and then I have my breakfast then I take my bath and go to school. There is no tube well at our home that’s why there is a lack of safe drinking water. We bring water from other houses.
My favourite subject is English because I want to be a doctor in future. So that I may give treatment to the sick people. I want to be a respected man by reading this English. I take a bath after coming from school and play with my friends for one hour. Then I come back to my home, then I wash my face, feet and hands and then I study for myself. After studying up to 8pm I take dinner with my parents. Then again I study. I study up to 9pm then I go to sleep. I help my father to work in the field. Sometimes I also help my mother in kitchen work. For example, I give the firewood in the oven, sometime I bring water.” – Somi Topno, 14 yrs
If I were a Pigeon
“I have many pigeons in our home I look after them. My favourite bird is pigeon. When I touch them I feel very happy. When I pet them they keep silent and they love to feel my hand. There are many animals in our area such as; cow, buffalo, goat, duck, hen, fox, pig, pigeon, birds etc. I wish if I would be a bird then I could be petted by others. I keep silent. And also, I could fly with great joy in the sky. And if I would be any animal then I could travel anywhere. And no one can make me their pet animals and I would never get afraid to any people and also I did not make frighten them.” – Almaraj, Sponsored Child
My favourite Fish curry
“We bring water from the tube well. My mother cooks rice, fish curry, lentil and vegetables. I like fish curry very much it is my favourite food. Among all fishes my favourite fish is Hilsha fish. I like fish curry because it is very delicious and nice to eat. Most times I eat rice and vegetables. I don’t like potatoes mashed. All people drink tube well water. The tube well is about 500 metre far from my house. Sometimes I carry water and sweep my house and yard. I enjoy this work because it makes easier for elders when I do these works. Now my elder sister cooks food. I help her to cook. I bring salt, oil and spices for cooking to my big sister. It does not make any harm to my studies or my playing.” – Tahamina, Sponsored Child
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these stories, I’ve been having a ball helping the children to write them and seeing the hope and joy that education can bring. Please continue to ask questions and add your comments, if you’ve got any questions for the children that would be great too.
On the Facebook page you can also check out my photo album that shows how I’m helping children to tell their stories http://www.facebook.com/worldvisionuk
YES Almaraj, it would be wonderful to fly like a bird one day !
Hi Cilla, doesn’t this say a lot about Almaraj’s thinking around ‘freedom’….
I’ amazed by Somi’s story – up at 4am, 10km of cycling to and from school then finally bed at 9pm. Is that a typical day for a child in Bangladesh? Do they all work that hard?
I’ve been astonished by children’s commitment to their education and parents support and encouragement to engage with education despite themselves being illiterate. I’ve met many children that are putting in a lot of extra study time around their core school hours. One thing to bear in mind, is that the quality of education in the schools is less so… Thanks for your comment Mark….. Steve
Steve,
Loving the stories, especially the fish curry!!!! Beautiful picture of a cow at the homestead…also enjoying the vibrant colours, need to sack off wearing grey and black all the time, I’m inspired!!!
It’s such an empowering tool that children’s confidence and use of expression is benefiting other areas of work. I expect this tool will have no boundaries to what it can achieve and how much enjoyment children will have using it!!!
Many Blessings, Tamson.
Thanks Tamson… Imagine that little girl Tahamina who liked the fish curry…. she was so vulnerable… her father was blind, her mother was working a seasonal job in the capital as a housemaid, her older sister (12yrs) had to leave school to become a young carer to look after Tahamina, their younger brother and father. They live in a one room house made of bamboo fence, corrugated iron sheets for a roof and a mud floor. This is very vulnerable accommodation for the rainy season.
Bangladesh experiences; hurricains, cyclones, floods, flash floods etc.
Hey Steve, great to hear the children’s stories, they paint a very clear picture of their lives. I particularly love how Somi wants to work so hard so he can help sick people, how different to many of the children I taught here who just want to be famous or have no direction. Very special x
Thanks Hannah… yes you are right to pick up on this point… we have so much to learn from other’s attitudes and kindness… I’ve been truly inspired… thanks for sharing this… Steve