Nagiya’s Story

“My mother left me and my dad when I was a baby and so I have no memories of her at all. I lived with my dad for a little while, until he got remarried. His new wife did not love me and she mistreated me very badly. My dad tried to protect me by sending me away to live with his mom (my Jaja). For a while he would send money and come to visit me, but eventually the money stopped coming and he never comes to see me anymore. My grandmother loves me so much and I love her even more. She is a casual laborer with no education at all and she has not been able to keep a job. She tries to do housework for neighbors in exchange for food or some small income to feed us and she really tries her best. There has never been enough for me to attend school, though my dream remains to go to school and to become a teacher. I hope one day to be able to teach my grandmother how to read and write.”