Suma is a girl from Nepal, who had to live as a kamlari for 6 years, first starting when she was six. She has four brothers and two sisters, and all but one of them have been kamlari. When she turned six, her parents could no longer afford to live with her anymore. One day, when her first master came to pick her up, she didn’t know what was happening or why, because she was too young. When Suma arrived at her first master's house, she wasn’t sure of what to do. In the video that we watched in class, it was very upsetting to watch such a young girl have to work for a man she didn’t know. At her first master’s house, she had to wake up at four in the morning, clean the house, take care for the children, even though she was only six herself, cut grass for the animals, and take care of the children again until 9 PM. It was also very sad because she wasn’t happy, and she would be yelled at, and she was also beaten.
When I first watched the video, I noticed the environment that they were living in. It was very harsh and I felt helpless because I couldn't do anything about it. When the video talked about Suma’s hard time, it was very hard for me because of how sad she was. I know she didn't want this, no one would. It made me very upset at how she was beaten down physically and mentally. She was only was a little girl when all of this happened to her, and it is so unfair that no one did anything. It is unfair, she did not deserve to be treated like that. In the book, it talked about what she has gone through, that she was beaten, she didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't give specific details, who would? But she said something that stands out to me. She says, “What tends to happen is the master's feel they can do anything with the girls…. they say, “I want to make you my wife,” and treat them really badly.”
What also stood out to me was Suma’s song. When she was younger, she would make a song out of something she thought about. One of her songs was how much she wanted to go home. Suma would sing as she was up cleaning, working, even resting. Suma would sing all the time. In her second home, she wrote a song about food, because she was hungry. In her old school, where she took midnight classes, Suma “learned how to sing about freedom.” Suma loved her mother and father, but she started to not love them as much as she did because she was sent to a master’s house. In her song, she would repeat the same question to both of her parents. She asked, “Did you want to see me suffer, Mother? Did you want to see me suffer, Father?” When I think about this, it makes me think of how Suma had to go through this, on her own. Suma also wrote a song of the girls in her country. She said, “I wrote that song myself, and I wrote it not just for myself, but for the thousands of other Nepali girls.”
~Giani, Amarion, Jayden, Jesse, Ale SMS
In the movie Girl Rising,I felt like Suma’s situation when she was younger was horrible, when she was with her first master she had to wake up at 4 am and be done with all her work 9 pm. She would clean the house then go out with a basket to cut grass, feed the goats and buffalo, then she then care for children. Her second master was worse, the mistress would not even call her by her name but call her “unlucky girl”.
The social worker’s determination is important because she helps Suma get an education. And when the social worker went to Suma’s master's house, the master refused to let her go but the worker was persistent and kept coming back. She kept coming back because they feel that Suma should get an education and get out of kamlari. The worker also feels that Suma should not be treated so poorly. The worker is right, no one should live like that.
~India, Mathews, Colby and Shannon SMS
In Girl Rising, Ruksana's parents moved from their village to the city so their daughters could have an education. Unfortunately, they had to face many difficult obstacles when they moved to the city. They spent all of their money to move to the city and gets their daughters in school. But they didn't give up, they stood strong for their daughters so they could get an education. Ruksana’s parents sacrificed a lot to have them live together. The parents had a disagreement about where they should live after Ruksana nearly got attacked. They were able to let their daughters future see light. Ruksana’s parents sacrificed a lot for their daughters. Her parents were very determined. They wanted them do well in school and be able to support themselves when they get older.
It very important to get an education in a place like India where Ruksana lives but it isn’t easy. They live in a makeshift hut in the side of the street but it is against the law to live there so from time to time police come to their huts and bring them down. It is very difficult to live in an place where you don't have enough money or food and a small hut made out of cloth and sticks and knowing everything you have could be taken down in matter of seconds and it did happen one unlucky day the state police came to their street and started yelling at them to get out of their huts as everyone rushed out the police started to take down their huts reducing everything to pieces of sticks and ripped cloth everywhere and at that moment Ruksana’s dad fell apart seeing their house get taken down. He had done so much he had worked every day trying to support his family and give his girls a education now seeing everything he had worked for taken down in front of them was really hard on him. After that he proposed to go back to their village his wife said no. She too was devastated but they had come too far to give up. So they went back to their hut and rebuilt it. Even though they have been through so much they were still able to stand up and fight for their children which is very amazing how far someone would go for their child and I am sure my parents would too.
~Parish, Jayvin & Huy V
SMS
Suma is a girl from Nepal who was a Kamlari for six years and was set free when a social worker made her master set her free. Suma’s situation was terrible from a very young age. Being a kamlari means being a slave because they are put to work for people who are not their family for many hours at a time and get sold like property. Slavery is still happening to this day. Even though people don’t call it slavery, doesn't mean it isn’t the same thing. The social worker’s determination was admirable because she fought for a girls’ freedom and education. She helps girls everywhere in Nepal and now Suma and other women can do the same. Suma’s impacting other girls lives by fighting for their right for an education and being able to do what they want, when they want. It makes us feel that we can do anything that we put our minds to.
We find this story interesting because we don’t usually think about people in the developing world and how their lives are. We learned that not every girl/women is given an opportunity to be educated so when you are, you can’t take it for granted. This story inspires us because Suma is fighting for other girls education and shows us no matter how little you or other people think of you, you still can have a big impact. We can help these girls because someone else in the world is.
~Jaidyn, Akai, Ethyn
SMS
In the Girl Rising documentary we meet Ruksana, she is a young girl who is homeless because her father wants her and her sisters to be closer to school but they can't afford a home. They live in “slums” which are man made homes on the side of a street. People without a home life is very different is very hard to find a new place to stay. Also, even though some people did things to get them in that place no one deserves to be without a home.
Ruksana had to chose over a comfortable home or an education and she chose education that is what I would have chosen too because education is basically the key to success. Ruksana’s parents chose education over a home this discussion was a good because when they finish school they will be educated and will have unlimited opportunities. At first Ruksana’s father decided to stay in the city so his kids can go to school but Ruksana’s mother wanted to leave. But at the darkest time when their home was destroyed Ruksana's father wanted to leave but then Ruksana's mother changed her mind and wanted to stay because their family been through so much so that Ruksana and her sister can get an education. So they can't just give up and leave. Her parents made the best choice because with the education she would be able to find a good paying job and about a few years she can afford a home.
~ Jai, Kan, & Chris
SMS
Reflecting back after hearing Ruksana's story, we’ve realized that our perception of homeless people have changed. The common view of these people is often negative, and associated with a bad feeling or negative; i.e. disgust, and many people assume the backstory of these people and how they got there without really knowing. After viewing and reading the story of Ruksana and her family, who selflessly sacrificed many things and comforts for their daughters’ educations, our opinions changed, along with the behaviors we naturally have on such a topic. Her story changes the idea of homeless people. Being homeless is not a choice, but for Ruksana and her family? It was. Her parents value education and put their money into it, sleeping on the street for the sake of their children’s futures. Her parents teach their children that if they were ever to get evicted by the police once more, to only take anything school related because it is the only things they cannot afford to replace. The sacrifice they made was a hard one, and it was a point of realization that us, as Americans, take advantage of a lot of features we possess, such as clean water, free education, food, and our homes. We complain about a lot and are unhappy with having all these things, and always wanting more when at the end of the day, Ruksana doesn’t have much, but she is happy. We need to appreciate the things we have, and try our hardest in our academics because people around the world don’t have access to these things, and we do; and we need to be more grateful that we have all these things in our lives. We shouldn’t waste our education, complaining and annoyed that we have to learn and do these projects or essays when someone across the world would cry tears of joy if they had what we have.
Seeing Ruksana's story really changed the way I view homeless people because you never know someone's story or why they're there in the first place. I don't know what their situation is, so who am I to judge them? A lot of kids in America really take advantage of what they have, If you put yourself in their shoes you'll see what they have to go through.Some people living on the streets are veterans they come home and find they have lost everything and are forced to live on the street. You walk down the street and you see a person living on the street and instantly judge them as dirty and gross but you don't what they've went through. Ruksana’s story shows the living condition of some kids in the developing world. Except Ruksana got lucky she was able to stay in school. A lot of families won't have enough money to keep their kids in school.
~Jenelle, Sorcha, Kristen, Hanna
SMS
At the age of six, Suma was bonded as a kamlari, like her parents when they were children. Even though the practice of kamlari was said to be outlawed, it still occurred often, subjecting many young children, especially girls to emotional and physical abuse. The reason she was bonded was because her parents wanted her to have enough food to eat, somewhere to live, and enough clothes to wear. However, because her parents did not know the strangers that Suma was bonded to, they didn’t know all the pain she was suffering through. At first, Suma being bonded might seem beneficial for her, but her master made her go through a lot, such as beatings and being called “unlucky girl”. She suffered a lot in six years, but eventually she made it through and was able to receive an education.
By the time she was twelve she had already been a kamlari for six years and in those years she suffered great pain as well as missing out on a proper education. In the United States, kids that are six years old are in school playing and laughing and couldn’t even imagine a world where they had to work. Suma however was stuck doing work, being beaten and called hateful slurs. She says, “I felt as though I was being treated like a dog.” She has also suffered worse abuse but it was something she wished not to disclose. When she arrived at her third master’s house things had finally changed for her. Upon meeting Bimal Sir she there learned how to read and write and through time she progressed quickly and was enrolled into night school run by social workers. Those social workers were also determined to gather information about kamlari and freeing anyone that was bonded. Once Suma got a chance to know what education was she thought as if a whole new world had been opened. This gave Suma the chance to have the courage to break away from her master and lead her own life instead of being control.
Here we understand that education gives you more than just books and the ability to count, it gives you the power to control your life and not let someone else make decisions for you . With education no child has to work and they don’t have to be a victim of domestic violence.
Suma wasn’t able to argue or defend herself, because she didn’t know how. Being a kamlari often means not having an education, making the children easy to manipulate and abuse since they cannot stand up for themselves. A social worker named Sita-didi was able to help Suma go back home for a while, and though she was bonded. Again, Sita-didi still fought for Suma and wanted to see Suma free. Sita-didi would always argue with Suma’s masters. Eventually, Suma was able to go to night school and take exams. Now, Suma wants to help children just like Sita-didi did for her. There are still many kamlari and we all have to be aware of that to properly make a difference. People like Suma and Sita-didi have done very helpful things and have contributed a lot to the cause of getting rid of the practice of kamlari.
Suma’s story was very tragic. I know when I was six years old I would not have been wanting to clean and take care of other little children, but this is what Suma had to do. At six years old all I wanted to do was play and just be a kid. Suma couldn’t do that. This is very upsetting. No child, or anyone should be forced to clean for an extreme amount of hours. When I heard that at her second master’s home all she was given to eat was scraps from their plates it was heartbreaking.No one deserves treatment like this, but even though Kamlari was outlawed in 2000 it still happens to many children in Nepal.
~Katelyn, Michael, Issabella & Harmony
SMS
Could you imagine making such sacrifices for education? Would you be able to give up the comfort and safety of your own home just to be able to go to school? Ruksana is a young girl from India who has experienced what it feels like to live on the streets, and has made sacrifices that privileged kids would never have to experience. Ruksana and her family bare all the difficulties and challenges as a whole family, and her parents gave up their easy life out in the village to invest in their daughters’ futures. They believed that giving them an education was the most important thing to do. Although they don’t have much money, her parents pay for her to go to school and her father makes sacrifices for her to go and receive an education.
Ruksana helped us view homeless people differently. Some people are homeless because they made bad decisions in their lives but others, like Ruksana and her family, are homeless because they sacrificed something very valuable so they could have a better future for their children. Ruksana, had much less than many girls her age around the world, but she had something priceless which kept her looking foward- she had happiness. In the story she draws two drawings; where she wanted to live and where she did live. She drew a very big modern house and she said that's not where she lives, so the lady asked her to draw her house. Ruksana drew a “half moon shaped plastic roof and a girl lying underneath it, sleeping.” However, while drawing them, she never once got a feeling of sadness because she didn’t have these great things, she stayed happy despite the circumstances she was in. She appreciated the little things she had. Being very privileged, viewing Ruksana's story makes us appreciate how fortunate we are to have such things, that others like her, sadly, can't have.
One part of the story that moved our hearts, is the will-power of Ruksana’s parents to stay in the city and sacrifice so much just so Ruksana and her sisters can have a better future, and not be married off at the age of twelve or thirteen. Ruksana’s father did everything in his power to ensure that his daughters could get an education, he gave up his lifestyle in the village, where they were safe and happy, so he could get a job and pay for Ruksana and her sisters to go to school. Even though her mother in the beginning, didn’t agree with staying in the city so their daughters could receive an education, because she thought it was too dangerous, she later came to understand that they couldn’t go back, because all their sacrifices would have been for nothing. She also agreed that the father’s decision to give their children an education was the right thing to do. The decisions that their parents made was to create a better life for their children, her father knew that by educating them, they would be able to support themselves and have a stable future.
Ruksana’s mother allowed her daughter to be interviewed, so that it would help the other children in her community. She wanted to spread awareness to help others in similar situations as them, living on the streets which was a dangerous place for children. The street proved to be a dangerous place for Ruksana and her sisters because of the the passing cars that they had once gotten injured from and they were vulnerable to crimes. At one point, Ruksana was put in a lot of danger when three guys attempted to take her belongings, but was saved by her father. People in other parts of the world would never have to go through these circumstances, people who are privileged and those that are fortunate enough to have jobs, an education and a safe place to live. She shared her story so she could inspire others to help those who don’t have access to things like an education.
In conclusion, Ruksana’s story impacted our hearts. Moments in her story made us sad and other parts made us envy how positive and happy she was even through circumstances she is placed in, which some might find hard to look at the positive side. She was blessed with determined and selfless parents who made sacrifices to invest in her education. Being privileged, we will most likely never go through what Ruksana has gone through, but we can spread her story so other people who have the ability to help people like her, can be touched by her story like we have.
~Susan,Wayne, Khalil & Grace
Gender inequality exists in every corner of the world; some rural areas more than other places. In the United States of America, women's rights have come a long way. For many decades, women were rarely ever allowed to vote or voice out their opinions, for the pure sake of men believing that women’s opinions were not worthy of being heard. Weak, small, incapable of managing to work for themselves- the term “house wife” finally sticking into place. Women were expected to only take care of the kids and clean around the house, not to achieve their aspirations. It was only until the late 1800s that women rights finally held to the backbone of America. America deemed as “a country free and equal”, but if women still don’t reach their heights, how is America as equal as we name it?
Being caretakers and having domestic responsibility, women are often overlooked by men. Society sees me as the leader of the family, the backbone, but as for women, people just pass a blind eye on them. People don't realize how important a woman's job is. Making a child, raising the baby and keeping it healthy, and adding a person to society and hopefully he or she can change the world for the better. However, people choose to neglect the fact that women contribute to society, and educated women will help society even more. It's just how the world is, unless we rise up against society's perspective.
Without having women in the family to work or earn money, life would be very arduous and difficult, simply because having another person to help contribute to the family is very helpful. Women having jobs is vitally important in order to have a better life for the girl and her family. Being able to work can help you have an identity of your your own, the girl would not have to rely on another person to support herself. Another good reason is women who are able to work raises their kids to have a better life without struggling as much.
My mom grew up sleeping on the streets and struggled in life as a girl because back then the economy was so much more difficult. Jobs were hard to find and homes were more difficult to afford. Mostly everyone was living a harsh life. It motivated her mentally and physically to work hard and reach her goals then she had me and my brothers and moved to the United States for a better life.
Nepal is considered to be one of the poorest, agrarian lands in the world. For centuries, in the Western territory of Nepal, when families are in a state of great debt, but yet have no money to pay back the debt respectfully, the practice of kamlari is the easiest option. Families will sell their children, often times girls rather than boys, to pay off their debt by working as slaves for their masters. These girls endure backbreaking labor work, and often times suffer from abuse; they get hit and beaten dreadfully, traumatizing their innocent minds. They dream of freedom, and the rich taste of education that seems like a dream far too much of a myth in their mentality to comprehend. And the stories of these girls are most likely never to be heard, unlike Suma.
Why is it that females are often practicing kamlari compared to men? In Nepal, women are always thought to be “invaluable”. Men, however, are seen as the one carrying out the family through every struggle no matter the burden. Men are always supposed to make more money and support their family through thick and thin. Women rarely ever do such things. They lie down at home, stuck in 4 walls, taking care of their children, cleaning and cooking- dream just simply a delusion in their heads. Even at births, many cases of murdering young baby girls is eminently common. It is thought that daughters will be nothing but a burden, just another mouth to feed for, while boys- a dream from cloud 9.
I, Supriti, being born in Nepal was often placed under this unrealistic perception. While I was lucky enough to not be a kamlari, my mother had endured great lengths. She would often have to prove herself worthy of being a girl to her family and friends. And any time she would rebel against those stereotypes, she would be thought of being aberrant or simply peculiar. No matter what she would do, those taunting perceptions would never leave her side. She even knew of her friends that were homeless and beaten, sometimes even to the brim of death, simply because of these stereotypes that were never true in the first place. Since my own mother witnessed these perceptions with her own eyes of people she loved, she knew my sister and I had to be raised in an area where these perceptions will not be drilled into our vulnerable heads, but rather in a place where our imagination and dreams could be relentless to a great extent. My father knew this was the right choice as well, but we knew places like that rarely ever exist, especially when you’re living in such a poor state with only a 15 by 7 room. But from pure, absolute luck, my family was able to come to America, and my sister and I had the greatest inkling that things for us would be better.
I, Billy, am very shocked about how insane Suma was being treated while being a slave in her master’s home. They called her, “Unlucky Girl”, because of her being bought into the family. The other girls bully her for having ripped clothing and no shoes. Also, to know that certain things that have scarred her mentally and physically that she can’t bring herself to speak about is truly unbelieveable. When a person is that traumatized, it's truly saddening. I cannot begin to imagine what I would do if I was in a situation where my rights were never to be listened to, or if I was always being taken out of my home and put into someone else’s. Suma’s story is truly inspiring and is one that everyone should hear. It gives you so many new and diverse perspectives.
~Supriti, Billy, Molly and James
SMS
Suma is a girl from Nepal who was sold as a kamlari at the age of 6 and had 3 different masters over a span of 6 years. Her parents did this in order for her to have food, clothes and the necessity to live. She worked hard days and nights washing dishes, taking care of children, washing clothes and other sorts of labor. She wasn’t treated well in the first 2 masters’ residences. She was disrespected and was yelled at in her first one. In her second , she was also being beaten and being called as “Unlucky Girl”. In her second house she wasn’t fed well as she only had the scraps from her master’s leftovers. Throughout her years of Kamlari she didn’t have a great childhood but luckily was offered education in her third master’s house where she was taught by the social workers.
When Suma was a little girl she had to work while other children like her brothers got to go to school and get an education, kids in developing countries sometimes don’t even have the chance to get an education while kids in the US have the privilege to get a free education, in other words kids in the US have rights unlike the kids in the developing countries. Kamlari is very similar to slavery as both slavery and kamlari are both using children or other people to do there work for them and do it for the majority of their life. Suma’s parents had a very difficult decision to make, and of course they’d choose their sons because they would have a greater privilege than a women with an education, in this situation. Suma’s parents did it so she could at least have food and clothes living under a house where she is protected from the elements.
The social workers helped give girls like Suma an education was inspiring. The social workers determination to free Suma and other kamlari girls was a very risky and just act, and shows that they care for others and their future. Now you could find suma as a community medical assistant. She is now taking courses in computer skills and the English language. She also is involved in a cooperative the NYF established to assist former kamlari girls. Suma wants to open a medical clinic in her village and is dedicated to continuing to protect the rights of the girls.
~Aldo, Sunny, Kyle & Ambro
SMS
Ruksana was a girl who first grew up in a remote village in India then moved to the city because her father could not find work. Her father, who was a brave man, put his three daughters into school to get an education. Ruksana’s parents were really determined to keep their daughters in school as they went through a lot of difficulties doing it. For example, her father, had no job in the village which made them move to the city. Ruksana's parents were determined to not remove them from school and go back to the village after their home was torn down, but they realized that after all the hard work and difficulties they went through, why would they go back. “Why would we go back after all those difficulties we went through.” her mother said.
If her dad had an education, he would probably have a different job, which why he wants his daughters to go to school. If her mother had an education she wouldn't have a been married early as well. “Her mother was married at 13, then had her first child at 14” on Page 122, Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time.
Her father was a great parent since he really cared about his daughters and wanted them to go to school and not be affected by the effects uneducated girls. We also thought the mother was a good parent for realizing they should stay in school instead of going back to the village where there are no schools. Ruksana’s school is very full place since other girls like Ruksana wanted to get an education.
We thought that if we were in her father's position, we would have done the same thing because we would not want a girl without an education to get married early, have children early, and live uneducated which also leads to an unhealthy life.
~Iyana, Hannah, Anthony & Clyde
SMS
We learned about Ruksana from the documentary Girl Rising. Ruksana was a young girl living with her family in the city of Kolkata, India. She had an very hard life there with her family. For example, she lived in a tent where the walls were tarps, where they would hang their school bags, and the floor of their home was all pavement. Ruksana’s mother had invited the producers over to their home for supper. They had looked around the scenery of the place. It was risky for Ruksana’s family because the police would evict her family from the street or even destroy their tents. Ruksana’s parents are trying to educate their daughters so they won't go off and get married at the age 13 or 14. Ruksana’s mother had got married at the age of 13 and had their first child at 14. It was an incredibly smart decision to let their daughters stay in school after they had got evicted. They didn't want to give up after all the difficulties they had got through. They wanted their children to grow up and make something out of themselves. Its great that Ruksana parents care and love their children even if their in poverty.
The part that was very interesting for me was when Ruksana was drawing in her math class and she got kicked out because of that. When she went home and told her father what happened he took her to a shop and bought her new pencils and a notebook to draw in it. Also, when the police tore down the tents of Ruksana’s family. Then after that Ruksana and her family had to go back to their tents and rebuild it. Another thing that stood out in the text was when she was having difficulties learning in school because she was too focused on doodling in class and wasn’t paying attention.By the time the teacher caught her , she called Ruksana up to the class and said: “You think this math class is a joke? Doodling? Get out!” Ruksana grabbed her things and walked out , her sister told her she was going to get a blasting when she gets home. Her father made her sit there so he could look at her pictures and lecture her. “I pay for math class and you doodle in it? Come with me” Her father said, they walked outside to a store. The store had many portraits and paintings and materials required to draw. Her father bought her a notebook and coloring pencils so she can embrace her talent. This really stood out to me because it revealed that her father doesn't have a lot of money but can still finds a way to make his daughter happy.
~James, Ciro, Starlyn & Eddie
SMS
Suma Blog
Central - Thuy, Kayla, Matt and Declan
Before we watched a video about Suma, we didn’t know anything about Nepal, or what it was like living there. Once we started to discuss about it, we started to learn more and more about the country. Our group realized that girls who lived in that country had no choice. All of them had to work no matter what, they can’t go to school and learn like how boys do. In Nepal 38% of the girls go to secondary school and the rest goes to work. Some families even felt like they were forced to sell their daughters into domestic slavery. Life over there isn’t as easy as we thought it would. Suma wasn’t able to go to schools like girls in the U.S, instead she has to leave her family and go to work. Her family was very poor and was not able to take care of her. So the only choice they had was to send her away to another family, so she can work for them. They thought that she would have a better life if she went to work, but it turns out her life was even worse. In the video we learned that Suma loves to write songs and especially sing too. Writing/singing would make her feel calm and less afraid. Learning to read and write was a very important thing for her. She’s very passionate about her songs and in order for her to continue writing songs she needs to learn how to read/write. Education usually makes Suma much happier, and she really wants to go to school. Kids around the country who has education doesn’t know how lucky they are. Many just take advantage at this opportunity and decide to not come to school everyday. They don’t know how easy their life is and how lucky they are. Once they learn what Suma have gone through then they’ll know to appreciate school, and what they have. Education can help you become successful and prepare you for the real world, but since most girls don’t go to school, their life would be hopeless. They would have dreams every night and goals they want to achieve in life, but due to them working all the time, it will be very hard for them to do what they want. Everyone should begin to care and provide education for everyone including boys and girls too. Girls are as important as boys are, so we shouldn’t just let boys go to school. Girls can help make a difference and they can do as great, or even better than boys.
Suma
Sarah, Lena, Ryan and Steven - Central
Nepal was always just a place on a map to us. Never in a million years would we guess that it still had so many things going on.
Suma gave us a preview of one of the many stories they told us so much and with further research, even more that was too painful to talk about. Kamlari is what they call it there, it's basically when children are sold into slavery because their parents can't provide for them. Before watching this, we were asked a series of questions regarding out lives when we were young, how our home, family, chores were, how we would feel about living apart from our parents and if we could think of any reason they would send us away, crazy stuff we couldn't find the right words to answer. Seeing as many parents give up their children like that makes our chests heavy. Now imagine it actually happening. Some parents do it for money, and other unworthy reasons but in this case, it was just so she could have a place to live, food to eat and clothes. There are still places in the world were men are the superiors and where women have only a small chance to get an education or to show their true potential to the world. We sit in these classrooms, daydreaming of being really anywhere else, while a good percent of the world dream of being here in a classroom.
Suma
Chris, Renee, Lily - Central
Suma is an "unlucky girl" who lives in Nepal. A place we learned that still has slavery which is called bonded labor, where they sell you into slavery. Our lives differ in the US from Suma's life in Nepal. As children we live a carefree life without working until the age of 16. Unlike Suma, who began working at the age of sick, picking kernals out of corn from early morning to late at night. When we were younger, all we worried about was getting to bed early, even at the age of fourteen we do chores but not as drastic as Suma. We learned that children like Suma in Nepal make slavery very relative unlike in the US. This shows that children in the US should be more grateful about what we have.
Suma
Reilly, Victoria, Ian and Alex
As a group, we barley knew anything about Nepal. All we knew is that it is Asia. We also weren't aware of bonded labor was a thing and really another name for slavery. When we were six or seven, we had a pretty good life and didn't have to do much and most things were just handed to us. If were were ever sent away from our family, we would be really confused.
After we watch Suma's story, we were in shock that this happens to young girls around the world. Once she got let go by her owner. We were touched that she went to other girls. We think it is amazing that she wants to help other girls that have the same situation she had.
Suma
Blake, Dennis, Janet and Dea
We don't know much about Nepal or where it is located. We do know that there are still slavery and people who don't get an education, but we have never been, so we've never experienced it. Bonded labor is practically slavery. Suma was a girl who's parents put her in bonded labor so she could get food and shelter. She wanted to be treated like her brother who still gets and education but since she's a girl, the parents usually pick the boy. At her 3rd master's house, there was a teacher who persuaded the master to give Suma and the other kids in bonded labor an education, letting them take classes at night. We have never lived away from home and we would not be able to take classes at night after working all day. Our lives are all easy especially when we were as young as Suma was when she was bonded. We had no chores, no responsibilities and just did whatever we wanted. We will probably never experience what Suma did, since we live in America. Suma wanted to have an education but in Nepal, it was very hard.
Ruksana Blog
Thuy - Central
Before I started watching a short film about Ruksana, I didn’t know a lot about India. I had no idea what language they speak nor what their culture was, but I did know where it would be located on a map. When I started watching the film, I began to see what India kind of looked like. India seems like a very busy place and everyone is always busy with something. Kids over there would go to school, but I realized that many people are facing poverty. The place Ruksana lives in is very unsanitary and it’s not really normal home. Her home is more like a handmade tent, but even though her life is hard, she seems to always be happy. She would smile and escape into her own world. In order for her to escape, she would draw images of happy places that are colorful and full of positive images. She would struggle sometimes in school, but her parents never gets mad at her. They would treat her very nice and they know that their child, Ruksana, can improve. Her father is a very nice man who cares a lot for his daughters. Before they moved to the city, they lived in the countryside. Life there was very peaceful and happy, but her father decided to move since there is no job and his daughters need to have a good education. Her father doesn’t want to send his kids away to marriage at age 13-15, so they moved to the city and started a fresh new life. Ruksana is great kid in school and her parents chose the right path for her. They knew all along that educating their daughters would be a great choice. They didn’t want to follow their tradition that they had faced before, so in order to break away from this, they sent their kids to school. The choice of sending a girl to school can change everything. Ruksana’s life has been very rough, but even though it’s very bad there would always be a place for her to escape, and that place is school. School can educate her and give Ruksana all the information that will help pursue her dreams. All of the positive drawings and places she drew can one day become something real. Ruksana has a crucial life, but she manages to be happy and positive everyday. She has hope in a better life and most girls around the girl are not as hopeful as Ruksana. So that’s why we need to spread hope and positivity to all the girls around the world that does not have an education.