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notes from the field
n i y a f D o A e f i L r o e s h n t Spo d a l i Ch
November 2012 // Issue 3
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Images and Stories Collected by Joshua and Tammy Moses Š 2012 Asian Aid Australia.
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In the Morning
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If I’m a day student sponsored for education and I live in the city, this is where I wake up. It wasn’t always like this; before if we couldn’t afford a house we lived on the streets in make-shift houses made out of tin. We normally walk or take the bus to get to school, but that’s after we’ve finished off any last minute homework we couldn’t finish the night before because the electricity went out. We don’t always have electricity, but we’re used to eating, studying, showering and helping out around the house by candlelight.
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In the Morning
If I’m a boarding sponsor student, this is where I wake up. My room that I share with many others. I may be far from home, but here I’ve made a lot of friends who never let me sleep in and miss breakfast.
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In the Morning Water is considered precious for us. When I lived at home, and even now in my dorm, we are taught to not be wasteful with water. Before we go to school we make sure we’re clean and smelling fresh, but we don’t have a shower, we have a ‘bucket bath’. It’s hard when its winter time since we don’t have hot water. In the summer bucket-baths are refreshing from the heat, but if the monsoon doesn’t bring lots of rain our wells don’t get full.
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My Breakfast
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Our menu depends on what is growing at that time of year. Dishes like Khichdi (rice and dry lentils), Dal Bhat (lentil curry and rice) and vegetable fry are our favourites. There are lots of different fruits we can eat, but sometimes they are expensive so we can only have them a few times a week. Sometimes we only eat twice a day, but don’t worry, we can eat a lot!
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Heading to School
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Some of us take a bus, and some walk. Some of us are boarders and we don’t have to walk very far. There is an ancient tradition we use to Though our roads and paths are often get to school. It is called ‘walking’! muddy or dusty, we keep our uniforms pretty clean, it’s a part of being well Some of the day students in city schools presented and disciplined. will take the public bus to school if it is too far to walk. Though it’s nice to sit with friends on the bus, they don’t like the pollution and how many people try and fit on the bus. Sometimes people hang off the sides! We make sure in rainy seasons to carry umbrellas, but sometimes our school uniforms get muddy and dirty from all the splashes.
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At School
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Our day usually starts with an assembly. Depending on the school we will Somesometimes of us takesing a bus, some anthem, walk. ourand national Some sometimes of us are boarders and weordon’t have a prayer, even have to walk very far. do a few stretches to work out the morning kinks and aches. Though our roads and paths are often muddy or dusty, we well keepschool our uniforms If we perform and treat pretty clean, it’s a part of being each other nicely, we can bewell nomipresented and disciplined. nated as class leaders. It might give us more responsibility but we like it.
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At School
The classroom is where the action happens. We are told that if we are to be successful in life we must try hard and learn a lot in school. Our teachers make us work hard. Sometimes depending on the school we learn three different languages; like Hindi, Telegu and English. We all have dreams of what to do when we’re older, and we know we have to study well for these dreams to come true.
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At School
Some of our classrooms have pictures or posters on the wall, but most are pictures we’ve drawn. We would love to have more posters and pictures!
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Most of the classrooms we’re in have desks. We all have strong bags and we get new uniforms every year. This way we look and feel pretty good!
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My Lunch A lot of our schools give us lunch. It is by far the loudest time of the day. See, in our countries the plates and cups are all made out of stainless steel. When you add all that clanking to our talking and laughing it can get really loud! School lunches are usually a small meal of rice with some sort of curry or vegetable fry. Eating with our hands is tradition in our countries, but sometimes we use forks. Either way, after we’re done we wash and dry our dishes and hands; we’re pretty particular about keeping them clean!
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Leisure Time
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Cricket is a sport enjoyed and played by most boys at our schools. Even the ones who don’t particularly like to play still know all the famous cricketeers. We also carry our national pride with our love for cricket; we’ll defend our country in any match anywhere anytime! We all try and teach the younger boys how to bat and bowl. Sometimes it is frustrating because they don’t bowl well, but they have to learn some how!!
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Dinner Time
All of us who live on campus have dinner together. We sometimes have to help in the kitchens, either cutting vegetables or stirring massive pots of rice. It’s a good place to be in the cold winter, but in summertime the kitchen is quite hot! Depending on the season, we get a good variety of vegetables that many in Western nations have never had. Some are really tasty and some are not!
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In the evening time we usually study after dinner. After we do our chores that is! Our chores usually involve keeping our rooms and bathrooms clean, and helping clean the kitchen up after dinner.
In the winter months if we have no electricity it makes studying at night difficult since the sun sets so early. In the summertime we enjoy long hours of sunlight so we can still study even if there is no electricity.
Thanks for having a look into a day in our lives. There may be a little bit that we left out, but we really do want to include you into our lives! We’d love to hear from you as well; we’d love to include reading a letter from you into our day and hear about what your days are filled with!
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HERE’S YOUR OPPORTUNITY
TO GET INVOLVED IN A CHILD’S LIFE AND BRING ABOUT
POSITIVE CHANGE.
GIVE HOPE TODAY WITH
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