Can you imagine living far away from home in order to go to school? For some girls in India, it is necessary so that they have the chance to go to school. Let’s listen to our story today and learn more.

Hi, my name is Romita (that’s me on the cover!). I am 7 years old. I live in a remote village in India like this one where there are not many roads. We have to walk a long way to get to a road and then catch a ride on a motorbike, bus, truck or other vehicle going to town. It takes a long time. There aren’t any schools near my village, so I have to live in a hostel in a town far away to go to school. I had never been away from my family, but I soon made new friends. My mom and dad never had the chance to go school. They are very happy that I can go to school.

This is our new hostel. It opened just in time for school to start a er the holidays. It is like a home away from home and is just for girls. We come from many different villages. Before this hostel was built, we had to live in a small, rented place on a noisy street. We love our new hostel! There is so much space to play in and we can walk to school nearby. Our parents are very happy that we have this new, safe place to stay.

I am excited to be starting Gr. 3. I love to read. I also like playing kabaddi with the other girls at the hostel. It’s a very popular game here in India. When I grow up I want to be a sister (a nun/work for God) and help people. One of my friends at the hostel wants to be a teacher. We have big dreams for the future!

This is one of the rooms where we sleep. Just like at home, we sleep on these mats and then roll them up during the day. And these are some of the things we pack and bring from home. We each have our own metal box to store our personal things.

The people at the hostel take good care of us. Every day, we get delicious, healthy meals. Mmmm, yummy! It is our custom to sit on the floor (or ground) and eat with our hands. We also get help with our schoolwork and like learning about God and how much he cares for us.

We are so happy to be able to go to school. We thank God for this big bless- ing. There are many children, especially girls, in India and other countries, who do not get this chance.

We thank people in Canada who gave money to build our hostel and who pray for us. It is the best gift ever! Thank you for helping to make our dreams come true!

CLOSING COMMENT:

There are a lot of things to learn about in this world, but the most important thing to learn about is God and how much he cares about each person. He wants all boys and girls to have a chance to learn about him and his love for all people and to grow up healthy and wise. To develop the skills and abilities he has given them (to grow into their full, God-given potential).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• 1. How do you go to school? Do you walk? Take a bus? Get a ride from your parents?
• 2. Can you imagine having to live far away from home so that you could attend school? What are some of the things from
  home that you would miss? What are some of the things that you would take with you?
• 3. What do you like doing at school (or after school)? What do you want to be when you are older?

TIP: You may want to have this discussion as you create your Book of Dreams (see activity in this lesson)