Dreams of village children
Written by Ramyar Khalili We were playing with friends on the plain. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. We were running after one another and the sound of our laughter echoed in the air. It was around 10:30 in the morning. Our voices could be heard from afar mingled with the beautiful sound of birds and the flowing river. The trees around us provided good shade and the river was flowing very fast. There were four of us sitting by the river on a large stone which we used as our chair. Whenever we wanted to talk privately we usually came here. And today was one of those days. I climbed up a tree and sat on a branch whose leaves were turning yellow. Everything looked so different from above. ” You know why we are here today?” I asked. “No,” everyone replied. “Well, I want to talk to you about school. Next week the schools open and we should all go to school like all the other children,” I said. “None of the children of the village went to school,” said Hasan. “Are we crazy to go to a school which is 12 kilometers away? “But we should learn how to read and write, don’t you think?” I asked. “No, our moms and dads don’t know, but they’re getting on with their life,” said Javad. “Yes,” I said, “but I don’t want to stay here forever. I like farming but I want to learn many more things.” “Then you go alone. We won’t come,” said Ali. He then turned to the others he said: “Imagine when it snows. How long you will have to walk for. You’ll die. Remember we warned you.” I thought for a while. Maybe they were right. But I would love to go to school and study. Seems it’s not possible. Which right(s) are at the center of this case? 1. The right to a proper health and nutrition Send us your answers at Irn-web-admin@UNICEF.org. We'll be delighted to hear from you.
|
