08/01/2024
๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐
๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง๐๐: ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐บ'๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ
Sandy can't see his hands in the darkness of his shack made from palm bark and zinc on a hillside in the Dominican Republic. But he feels them because of the pain from wounds on his left thumb caused by the knife he uses to trim garlic plants. It is dawn and he has to hurry if he is to get a place in the landowner's truck. He jumps from the worn mattress that he shares with three other brothers. He doesn't have breakfast because there isn't any. Nor does he wear working boots because he has none. Sandy manages to climb into the back of the truck before the others, who are adults and other children like him, without a childhood. In the cold and fog, the icy wind cuts his unprotected face. Sandy doesn't look beyond his hands and forgets his discomfort. His hands are his most valuable working assets. They pick potatoes, extract onions, dig up lettuce, behead beets and cut and gather garlic bulbs. He knows that he can bring home between 80 and 120 pesos, or $5 to $7, to contribute to the low family income and to buy a pair of shoes. He works in the fields every day from dawn to the middle of the afternoon. Sandy does not go to school. For a short time a few years ago, when the family lived in the mountains, he took a long and steep road to go to classes. "But, we were so far away that he never learned anything," says his mother, Viola Delgado. "How could he learn if with the sweating of the trek he forgot what he was taught in school?" A mother of eight children, the 40-year-old Mrs. Delgado is illiterate, like her husband. In her hut, only a thin sheet separates the cramped "living room" from the beds. A wooden table and wobbly chairs make up the furnishings. Like other huts in El Chorro, there is no electricity or running water. There is no nearby faucet or toilet. El Chorro is on a hill above the Constanza valley, which is the most fertile in the country. The people living in these huts, about five minutes from town, are farm workers who have come here because there is plenty of agricultural work. But they remain poor because pay is so low. As soon as they reach a certain height and age, the children go with their parents to the plantations. They are exposed to the excessive chemicals, or herbicides and pesticides, that are applied to the fields. They are often barefoot and underfed -- they drink bottled refreshment to keep them going during the workday. The children are often sick. Sandy says he would like to study and continue to help his family. His mother also would like him to go to school. "It's more advantageous for me if they go to school, even if they don't earn anything, for they don't make much with a day's work anyway." There are helpers and community workers in Constanza and El Chorro who are encouraging the children to go to school. They see a big difference in the children after just a short time at school. The kids speak better, keep their notebooks tidy and are interested in school, not earning money. Sandy will soon be one of those children. (story from https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_decl_fs_44_en.pdf)
๐ The heartbreaking story of Sandy's everyday struggles in the Dominican Republic reveals the harsh reality experienced by numerous children who aren't given the opportunity to learn. Sandy's desire to study reflects the truth that education is more than a privilege; it is a powerful tool for overcoming the cycle of poverty. As we reflect on his story, may it serve as a call to action for all of us to support efforts that ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a decent education. The school holds the key to a brighter future, not just for people like Sandy, but for entire communities eager to break free from the cycle of poverty and build a better world. ๐ค๐ป
๐ท The photo here isn't directly related to Sandy's storyโ it's simply an inspiration. Photo from: https://pin.it/2SkmIDb
๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ, ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ก๐๐ ๐, ๐๐ค๐ก๐ก๐ค๐ฌ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช! ๐
