Listen to the people
Spurthi, 14 year old
“When someone from the project came to my place to ask who is interested to join the school, I immediately raised my hand, without even informing my parents. My father left, my mother is working in a factory to bring income to the family. I have one brother and one sister and we live in a village. In the future, I would like to become a dance teacher as well I like to study chemistry. I have to work hard to protect my mother; I want to make her happy. My dream is to play a good role in the society, be a role model to others. I also dream that in India people stand on their own legs.”
Purushotham, 15 year old
“My mother is a housewife and my father teaches in a small school. I want to study, get more knowledge, the world is so complicated. For me the main objective is to have enough money to support my family and my community. I am very good at art, in painting. For my future, I see many options: doctor, engineer or maybe fighter to develop my country. I am worried for my father: Since 10 years he suffers from diabetes, I have a lot of affection and love for him and need him and my mother for the future.”
Govinda, 15 year old
“My parents are poor farmers. We only have a small piece of land. They get a loan to cultivate crops, and then they sell it and make some profit. I have three brothers and I am the youngest. 2 of my other brothers are married and work in the field. My dream is to become a drama teacher: teach how to act, how to perform. Whenever I sleep, I make up stories! I want to perform for the society, in English, in Tamil or in Telugu. In India, they say there is a ghost, in the night I am afraid of it so I take a friend to the bathroom. There are many blind beliefs, especially among Hindus!”
Tabassum, 12 year old
“In my family, we are 6: my parents, 2 sisters, one brother and me. My father is a plastic things seller and my mother is a housewife. They live in town, 3 hours from here and I see them during holidays and visits. In the future, I would like to become a computer engineer. There are so many interesting things to learn in computer and also with this profession; I can earn a lot of money for me and my family. I have many friends here in the campus, the entire class, so 26 kids. In the evening, we take a bath, we study and then we go for dinner. I am not afraid…only of snakes!”