Millions of children are missing out on education. Child labour, poverty, high cost of schooling --- all have contributed to children not being able to attend schools. Some of their life stories will touch your hearts and make you realise that how fortunate you have been to go to schools!

Listen to them, read about lives and know what they want to say to the world!

Ana Pacheo, Guatemala “The people in this community have to go to other places to find work and are paid a very low salary. If we could recover the land taken from our grandparents, we would be able to grow coffee, maize, and beans and sell what was left to earn money. We would be able to send the children to school.”

Ana’s father, Pedro Hu Pacheco, lives in Sotzil, in Guatemala, Central America, and has 11 children. ‘Only one of my children is studying – my 16-year-old son. My other children have to work, so that we can support ourselves. I only reached the fourth grade in primary school. Without an education, people have no knowledge, and they aren't able to defend their rights. The landowners take advantage of the fact that people can't read or write.’ What do you think Ana would say?

Shiv Kumar, India “I wanted to study but my parents could not afford to send me to school because of financial constraints; moreover we did not have a school in our village. To study we had to go to another village, 3 kms away from our village. Only children from upper-caste families were allowed to study in the school.”

Shiv Kumar is 15. He used to work in a carpet industry. At a very young age a man lured him from his village to work in the carpet industry in Benaras, India. Currently he has been rehabilitated in Mukti Ashram, a rehabilitation centre of South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude (SACCS), partner organisation of Global March Against Child Labour.

“I feel good at the Ashram, I have changed after attending school and I believe I can do more things which I could not have done earlier like fighting for the rights of a child to go to school. I have a new life and I will continue to study. After my stay in the Ashram I will form a group in order to influence and spread awareness among people so that they send their children to school. I dream of becoming a teacher one day.”

Avdesh Kumar, India “I never went to school because my family is very poor. Sometimes we had no food to eat. My parents work in a day-to-day basis. They took a loan from the owner and failed to repay him.”

12-year-old Avdesh Kumar was forced by his master to work in order to repay the money owed by his parents. When he tried to run away he was tied with a cloth and forcibly taken to his village. There he was made to stay in a cowshed with the cattle. His job was to look after the cattle. There were many insects and mosquitoes in the cattle and he could never sleep properly. Sometimes he was not given any food and was beaten badly by his master.

Now he is rehabilitated in Mukti Ashram, Delhi as his parents appealed the owner to release their son.” Right now I feel good at the ashram as I get everything to my comfort. I like the food, can listen to music and play whenever I like. When I grow up, I want to become a collector. I want to build homes and schools for the people.”

Neeti, India “I used to work in the fields while my brothers went to school. My mother had no money to send me to a school. I wanted to go to school, and at times I used to cry but my mother never sent me.”

12-year-old Neeti had to work in the fields to help her mother to combat poverty. But her brothers were sent to schools and never had to work. She always yearned to study and dreamt of becoming a teacher but was denied the opportunity due to social bias, distance of the school and most importantly, poverty. After her mother spoke to an activist of BBA, she was taken to the Balika Ashram (rehabilitation centre for girls).

Now she is happy in the Ashram. She is studying and learning to stitch. She is enjoying each and every moment of her stay, be it going for prayers, tending the plants or playing with her friends. But at the same time she is apprehensive of the fact that once she leaves the ashram, it will be difficult for her to resume studies.

Sunanyna Kumari, India “I worked with my father in the fields. My mothers used to scare me by saying that on the way to school the big river when flooded would swallow me up.”

Sunanyna Kumari is 14 years old. She has a younger brother who goes to school. But she had to work in the fields with her father to support the family. She was always eager to study but her mother wanted her to work in the fields.

“My life changed for the better when the BBA activists came to our village. They convinced my parents to send me to school and thus got an opportunity to come to the Ashram. I like staying at the Ashram,” said a bubbly Sunanyna. She is happy because, her parents have agreed to let her continue her studies.

Kavita, India “My mother is a kabadi (garbage picker). I was a kabadi like my mother. I did not go to school because of poverty.”

11-year-old Kavita led the life of a garbage picker like her mother for a year or so and used to get Rs.15 – Rs. 20(less than half a dollar), a day. Her father died when she was very young. She has been rescued recently and is now staying in the Balika Ashram. Kavita fears that her mother will not let her study when she returns home.

Maina, India “I used to study but my brother-in-law forcefully took me out of school and brought me into the circus. I worked in the circus and could not study. I was not even allowed to step outside the circus.”

Maina comes from Assam, the north-eastern state of India. She is from a poor family. She was forcefully brought into the circus. There she had to do exercise every day for about an hour. She had to perform acrobatics and was not all happy in the circus.

Maina is happy to be in the Balika Ashram after being rescued. She wants to become a teacher one day and wishes to continue her studies once she returns to her village.

“The teachers come everyday and we have 25 students in our class. I will continue my studies in the same school.”

Shauqat, India “I attended a program organised by the BBA and I met Kailash Satyarthi and through him I got to know about the Mukti Ashram. I feel good here in the Ashram and am studying in a Government school, which is 3 kms away from the Ashram.”

Shaukat has come a long way. His inclination to study is so strong that even when there is no proper transportation available, he walks for about 45 minutes to reach the school. He wants to become a social worker. According to him there is no life without education and everything depends upon education.

He further said, “If a person is educated he can broaden his ideas and perception and think of social reforms. He can choose between good and bad. He can be free from the world of darkness, which is possible only if one is educated. I never knew this before but after I came to the Ashram and started attending the school, ideas started pouring in. Going to school has increased my awareness and confidence. Now, I can go wherever I want to because I can read the numbers on the bus and talk to people. The best thing I like in my school is my teacher. He teaches us very well, I can understand whatever he teaches.

What I feel is that in our education system most of the teachers should implement their skills, especially the skills they have acquired during their learning period. In a Government school the teachers do not care about children. We find sign boards in schools saying “no smoking” but we find the teachers themselves smoking. I feel that they are conveying wrong messages to the children. In a public school the teachers pays more attention to the children on an individual basis.”

Durga, India “I never went to school because of poverty. I was a domestic worker, working in several houses. I had to wash clothes, sweep, clean and fetch water. I used to slog the whole day.”

Eight-year-old Durga’s daily chores never gave her the chance to study. Coming from a family of masons, and two sisters, she had little option but to work. Her sister had to abandon studies due to lack of money. Now she is rescued from the drudgery and staying in Balika Ashram. She is happy to go to a nearby school comprising of 57 students. Durga likes studying with her classmates and enjoys the unity they share. But one thing she does not like is that the school does not have a proper girls’ toilet.

Yogendra Kumar, India “I was unable to go to school as my parents died. I had to look after my uncle’s cattle. Nobody was there to look after me. I used to work till 5 pm and there was no food for me. The master of my uncle told him to send me to Delhi.”

12-year-old Yogendera’s case was no different from the case histories of other children. Orphaned at an early age, he had to tend the cattle for his uncle and used to be badly treated all the time. His uncle sold him off to a hotel owner in Delhi under the pretext of learning computers. Yoagendra faced a hard time at the hotel too. He and his friend Salim used to get beaten up all the time. They ran away and fortunately came across a BBA activist on the way who took them to the Mukti Ashram.

Now he is studying in a school in the 5th standard in Ibrahimpur near the Ashram. Yogendra wants to become a cricketer one day but he feels for that education is equally important. He can feel the change within him and can now talk confidently to people.

Renu Kumar, India “I used to wake up at 7 am and take my owner’s cattle to the field. When I returned from the fields I had to feed the cattle and take them again at 5pm to the fields. After that I had to work in my owner’s house.”

From morning till night, 11-year-old Renu worked without rest. She never had any idea what ‘school’ or ‘play’ meant. Her life took a better turn when the BBA activists came to the village and talked to her parents and the owner into sending her to the Ashram. Finally Renu’s mother agreed. Renu is now studying in the 4th standard in the nearby school of Balika Ashram. She wants to be a teacher when she grows up. She also aspires to rescue all those children who are child labourers and provide them with an opportunity to go to schools.

Pintu, India “There are many child labourers in India and they don’t know the meaning of education. Primarily, this is due to the financial constraints of the parents as a result of which they force their children to work. The government should make arrangements to put all children in a hostel where they would be given free education.”

13-year-old Pintu used to work in a roadside ‘dhaba’ (roadside kiosks) till he was rescued by the activists of BBA and brought to Mukti Ashram. He feels that he is lucky as many more like him are still entrapped in slavery. Pintu now is more confident and sure of himself, courtesy to his newfound life in the Ashram. Last year he took part in the Global Action Week. He felt proud to be associated with such an event as he could interact with many children like him who were former child labourers.

Pintu is of the strong opinion that the Government should fulfill their promises of educating children in every state and village. He is now studying in the 4th standard in a nearby school of the Ashram but he feels that the quality of education is not good. Moreover there is no concept of hygiene in the school--- toilets are not well maintained, drinking water is not worth drinking and complaints make little or no difference to such problems.

“Education is necessary because only after receiving good education one can become a good citizen. BBA has helped me to become a good and a strong person. When I grow up I want to become a CID (Investigative) officer.”

Mandrili, India “I don’t go to school because it’s very far. I have studied till the 4th standard after which I have discontinued my studies.”

Mandrili stays in a slum. She is 13 but unable to continue her studies because of the distance between her house and the school. Her former school had 50-60 students and she found the teachers good. Mandrili wants to become a doctor when she grows up.

Arti Kumari, India “I have cried several times to go to school. I have even fought with my brother because he goes to school while I don’t. And every time I question him about this, he tells me to go and ask mother.”

Arti Kumar comes from a poor family. They stay in the slums. Both her parents’ work. While her brother goes to school, 11-year-old Arti has to work at home. She doesn’t understand this special preference to her brother and have told her mother several times of her wish to go to school. She has never seen a school in her life. Her eyes light up when she talks of her dreams and hopes. She wants to become a doctor when she grows up and serve people.

Usha, India “I want to go to school. My mother says that there is no need for me to go to school but I don’t know why she says so.”

11-year-old Usha’s brother goes to school but she doesn’t. Her parents think that education for a girl is not needed. The result is that her brother goes to school while she is left pining to see the door of a school. She doesn’t know how to convince her parents, as they are illiterate.

Sarkim, Indonesia “My friends still go to school and I want to go too. I can read. But I don’t have any idea about what to do with my life.”

Sarkim is 13 and lives in Indonesia, Southeast Asia. He had to leave school after three years because his family did not have enough money to pay his fees. His parents, Pak Sardi and Ibu Ida, make a small income from selling rice-cakes but must buy food because they have no land.

Koki, Kenya “I beg every day on the street so we can find food. We came from Mariakani to Mombasa because we didn’t have food to eat. I don’t know my father. It was better at home. I went to nursery school, just once, then the money ran out. I’d like to be at school.”

Koki is seven and lives in Kenya, in east Africa, with her sister, Rukiya, and mother, Mariam.