Getting to Know You.... or Not
Dearest Bloggers,
Since I did not contact anyone as of this moment, I went to the website www.childhoodpoverty.org and read about Laxmi, a sixteen-year-old girl from the Tonk district of India. I was startled to find that all though she has not been "sent-off" yet, she was married at the age of ten. Her family is waiting for her husband to be able to support her. In the mean time, she bicycles to the next village to go to school. Her parents are considered progressive because they support her education. She has made it to class X when other girls from her village at best complete number V.
I am reminded how blessed we are to be Americans. We complain when our children have to walk to the stop sign to catch the bus when this child bikes to the next village. Her parents are considered well-off because they own goats and are able to have a small harvest. We are well-off if we own a $300,000 home and two cars in the driveway. Laxmi's parents did not even buy her the bicycle. The Indian government gave it to her for earning high marks at school. It really makes one think about one's own life and what we take for granted.
At www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php I was able to listen to Irma Allen from the Swaziland Environmental Authority which is like the EPA in the U.S. It was so interesting to think about having nature as one's classroom every day! No building! We strive every day to bring nature to our rooms and these children have nature as there classroom where the importance of it is stressed in everything they do. They have the natural landscape as their personal science lab. The trees, grass, water, dew, and insects inspire in their students the love of land and of their native country.
Since I did not contact anyone as of this moment, I went to the website www.childhoodpoverty.org and read about Laxmi, a sixteen-year-old girl from the Tonk district of India. I was startled to find that all though she has not been "sent-off" yet, she was married at the age of ten. Her family is waiting for her husband to be able to support her. In the mean time, she bicycles to the next village to go to school. Her parents are considered progressive because they support her education. She has made it to class X when other girls from her village at best complete number V.
I am reminded how blessed we are to be Americans. We complain when our children have to walk to the stop sign to catch the bus when this child bikes to the next village. Her parents are considered well-off because they own goats and are able to have a small harvest. We are well-off if we own a $300,000 home and two cars in the driveway. Laxmi's parents did not even buy her the bicycle. The Indian government gave it to her for earning high marks at school. It really makes one think about one's own life and what we take for granted.
At www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php I was able to listen to Irma Allen from the Swaziland Environmental Authority which is like the EPA in the U.S. It was so interesting to think about having nature as one's classroom every day! No building! We strive every day to bring nature to our rooms and these children have nature as there classroom where the importance of it is stressed in everything they do. They have the natural landscape as their personal science lab. The trees, grass, water, dew, and insects inspire in their students the love of land and of their native country.
Debbie,
ReplyDeleteYes, we take SO much for granted in the United States. It is very important to have a reality check. This young girl is inspirational! We need to hear more about young women and securing an education.
The World Forum is an organization that is a caring community that provides information and understanding of our global society.
Dr Longo
Dear Debbie,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your share.
I also have a colleagues, a teacher from India, who works at my school now. She was married with the age of 15. God blessed her, because her husband, who is 17 years older, is very supportive. She still could go to school, and now she is 42 years old and has her master degree in Early childhood from online program in Monash University. Both of her sons had graduated for Bachelor degree in London.
She feels blessed, that she could see her children grow up and that she still in a young ages to see the successful of her children in absolving degree, whereas there are a lot of mothers in her ages, still have to struggle to help the children with home work, or even with diapers. In her case, she didn't feel sorry to get married in a very young age, but she doesn't deny that traditional culture could be obstacles for women and children to gain good jobs and education.
-Putri-