EDUCATION IS A KEY!
I have been in this part of the world for 3 1/2 years now. In that time I have done a fair share of travelling and visitied markets all over the Middle East, Thailand, and now India. I think because I am a teacher, one thing that jumps out at me is the child labor. Kids selling stuff in the markets, kids making stuff behind the scene to sell in the market, kids on the street begging for money. The kids selling in the market are good at it, they sometimes support their families on their trade. Two young girls sold us some blankets last night in the Saturday Night Market. They were from Kashmir area of India and spend 6 months a year in Goa and 6 months in other areas of India selling. They were 11 and 9 and both very sweet and good at what they do, but ultimately this is what they will always do. I asked them about school and of course, they don't go, never have.
I know I come from a different way of thinking and can not relate to where these girls come from or what they have to do to survive, but it's too bad they don't have a chance to be kids. They work, that's what they do and that's what they will always do. These girls seemed very smart, very articulate, and are good at reading people and good at selling. I think that given and opportunity these girls could sell anything to anyone and given a little education they could own the world. Unfortunately, Unfrortunately, they will spend the rest of their lives selling blankets in the markets of India and working to survive. I think about all the students I've taught in 16 years, all the students who take education for granted and never make the most of it and I think, what a shame.
Today I will see another side of life in India as I am going to visit/volunteer with an agency that rescues street children in Goa. I have done and seen the same in Egypt, but it's something I look forward to and something that causes me some heartache after and loss of sleep after.
It does cause think more about these kinds of people and the lives they live, it forces me to ask where and how I can be of more help, and it causes me to go home at night and give my wife and daughter and extra hug and tell them how lucky we are.
Cheers for now
I have been in this part of the world for 3 1/2 years now. In that time I have done a fair share of travelling and visitied markets all over the Middle East, Thailand, and now India. I think because I am a teacher, one thing that jumps out at me is the child labor. Kids selling stuff in the markets, kids making stuff behind the scene to sell in the market, kids on the street begging for money. The kids selling in the market are good at it, they sometimes support their families on their trade. Two young girls sold us some blankets last night in the Saturday Night Market. They were from Kashmir area of India and spend 6 months a year in Goa and 6 months in other areas of India selling. They were 11 and 9 and both very sweet and good at what they do, but ultimately this is what they will always do. I asked them about school and of course, they don't go, never have.
I know I come from a different way of thinking and can not relate to where these girls come from or what they have to do to survive, but it's too bad they don't have a chance to be kids. They work, that's what they do and that's what they will always do. These girls seemed very smart, very articulate, and are good at reading people and good at selling. I think that given and opportunity these girls could sell anything to anyone and given a little education they could own the world. Unfortunately, Unfrortunately, they will spend the rest of their lives selling blankets in the markets of India and working to survive. I think about all the students I've taught in 16 years, all the students who take education for granted and never make the most of it and I think, what a shame.
Today I will see another side of life in India as I am going to visit/volunteer with an agency that rescues street children in Goa. I have done and seen the same in Egypt, but it's something I look forward to and something that causes me some heartache after and loss of sleep after.
It does cause think more about these kinds of people and the lives they live, it forces me to ask where and how I can be of more help, and it causes me to go home at night and give my wife and daughter and extra hug and tell them how lucky we are.
Cheers for now
posted by Brawn of the Oasis at 7:47 AM
1 Comments:
I remember seeing the same thing in Romania and Egypt. This semester, in my economics for development class, we studied a great program that they started in South America where families were paid to send their children to school. I wish that kind of program would work everywhere.
Happy New Year!
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