Sue Guiney's Introductory Post - contains important links
My Q and A with Dana Hui Lim author of Mother and the Tiger- A Memoir of the Killing Fields. - essential background information
"I Love the Circus" by Chelsea (13)
Yesterday I went to the circus. It was very fun. When I went I walked around and saw the pictures of that circus. When I saw that it was 7:00 I knew they were going to start to play. This is my first time there.
It was a story about a boy who the villagers did not like because he could not speak or hear. They made him sad. He prayed to the gods. The gods said “Do you want to be a girl like your mother?” They turned the boy into a girl. She was the most beautiful girl in the village. But still they killed her, because they thought she was bad. When she died, the gods came andsaid “Why did you do this?” and they made the girl live again as a boy.
To show this story, the actors jumped with the fire light. They danced with the music. They jumped high from the see saw onto a big mat. And they stood on top of each other.
After they finished, they stretched. Then I asked them some questions. “How long did you study this?” I asked.
Two men said they learned this for 7 years. Two other men said they learned this for 8 years, and another man said he studied for 10 years. The two women both studied for 9 years.
I also asked if they will do this for a long time. All the men said, “No! When I have a wife, I will stop.” But the women said, “I am not thinking about a husband. But when I am 30 I will stop.”
Chelsea, age 13 -Author supplied data
In my family there were four people. Me, my parents and my brother. One day my parents had a fight. Then me and my brother ran to my grandmother’s house. Then I went to live with her when I was 7 years old. Now I am 13 years old. In my grandma’s family there were 7 people. My uncle, aunt, their two children, my grandma and my sister. When I was 13 years old my grandma died. I was very sad. When the funeral was finished I went to live with my uncle and aunt. I hope one day I will live with my good family again.
1 comment:
The stories of the children in Anjali House have touched me and take me back to a time when I was a young girl. It is important for kids to have a childhood, both for themselves, the societies in which they live and also for their families. You can see this yearning in the writings of these children; they just want something good in their lives, something that they can rely on.
The ability to write and to make oneself understood is crucial to give people a permanent place at the table where decisions are made. By teaching the kids to write in a persuasive way, they can have an influence far beyond their local surrounds. I sit in Australia and whatever you feel about social media, something I take a second to ‘like’ may cause a chain reaction for the good. Laptops and mobile phones have been used to organise events that have altered the course of history. Sometimes it just takes an idea to emerge that is passed around until a critical mass of people will no longer accept the status quo. This can begin with the story of a single child.
When I was growing up it was not encouraged for children to speak their mind, indeed it was better if we were seen and not heard. I think that this was a mistake, because people need to be able to talk about trauma if they want to. Once I was in a position to set down my story then I was able to get it out of my system for anyone who wanted to listen. It didn’t matter if no-one was interested; telling a story is as good for the writer as hearing it is for the reader.
I value my education above all of my possessions, because it is the one thing that can not be taken from me. Things can be replaced, but the the ability to communicate gives us a voice that can be heard across space and time.
The possibilities are endless. What we choose to say is up to us.
Keep up the great work Anjali House and Mel.
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