Jun - 2009
School, Never too late!
Seeing Sohail enjoy every moment of his childhood, it is unimaginable to hear about what he was just a year ago.
Sohail’s Past
Instead of learning in Kindergarten classes Sohail worked 10-hours a day in one of Jaipur’s gem-polishing workshops – an unsafe situation for most children of Sohail’s age.
His parents were desperate and in debt. They didn’t want to send their young son to work, but they felt it was their only option.
Sohail’s normal day then was – to arrive at the small, sweltering workroom at 8 a.m. and along with six teenage boys toiled throughout the day till eight in the night.
The 6-year-old could barely understand what was expected of him, but he worked diligently, tempering hundreds of gems over a small fire on the cement floor. His little hands and fingers have cut marks from the work.
When a World Vision volunteer asked Sohail if he gets tired, the boy replied, “The work is easy. I don’t get money, but I get free food in the daytime.” He smiled, bending his head down to continue his work. Clearly, he didn’t know even what he was missing — what sort of childhood he could have if circumstances were different.
At the end of the day, Sohail’s parents got paid a mere 40 rupees (equal to less than a dollar), which they use to help pay off their debts.
Sohail’s present!
“My favorite cricketer is Dhoni and not Sachin,” insists Sohail, now 7. Swinging the cricket bat is what he loves doing every evening. As the slum dwellers of Rajiv Nagar in Jaipur and the world vision staff look on, Sohail did not miss a single ball that came his way. Besides cricket, he also has a number of other interests.
“I also like playing marbles. I like to go to school and learn from Sarita madam too”, Sohail added with a smile. Sarita is Sohail’s teacher at the bridge school run by World Vision to prepare kids who have missed out on education to join or rejoin in a formal school.
Going to school was once far from Sohail’s imagination and getting to play in the evening was a luxury. “I used to work at bhaiya’s (brother) place from 8 am to 6 pm”, Sohail remembers. “He used to get a lot of cuts in his hands” Heena, Sohail’s sister recalls. “But it didn’t pain”, Sohail added.
World Vision identified Sohail and with the help of the Shakti Children’s club, brought him to the bridge school. His family was also given a gem polishing machine for income generation.
“My income was just about Rs. 100 a day earlier. Now, with the machine around, we get about Rs. 250”, informs Sohail’s father Mohamed. A large family to run, Sohail and his siblings continue to contribute into the family’s income by making kites at home and selling them.
Come July 1st, Sohail will for the first time in his life head to a formal school. “Sohail is a fast learner and within six months’ time, he’s learned a lot. The school on seeing his progress agreed to admit him in 1st standard”, says Sarita Sohail’s teacher at the bridge school.
“The greatest transformation in this family is that, out of seven children, three are already in the bridge school and one will join when school re-opens”, says Alvina, the Community Development Coordinator of World Vision.
Sohail wishes to continue playing cricket and become a cricketer. But on second thoughts, he decided, “I think I better become a doctor. I can than serve both the young and the old.”
World Vision works in Jaipur, attempting to rescue children like Sohail from a life with few prospects. “It is not easy, but we have seen positive results. Children’s working hours have been reduced, and that is a good thing,” says Anil, a World Vision program manager in Jaipur.
In a community where child labor is seen as necessary and common, this step is worth celebrating.
|
