Maya

At a glance

• In a normal week, works in the morning, then goes to school if there is fee money; if there is not, works more.
• Says school asks for the term fee, for a uniform that fits, and to just show up as if none of that is hard; the walk to school is long too.
• When her mind is somewhere else she goes quiet and stops writing; most teachers call that lazy in front of everyone.
• Told the one teacher who noticed and asked; that teacher let her sit near the desk for a while, with no shouting.
• Never told the school itself, because she did not think it could give her anything except a scolding; what actually helped was that teacher, and the relative she lives with, who finds fee money when the relative has it, small things like that.
• Has never been told she has a right to school, to help or to be heard; she took missing school over money as her own problem to solve.

In their words

When there's no money I just don't go, and then I'm behind, and going back feels harder than not going.

And I want people to understand we're not lazy. We're just carrying more than they can see.

What they want changed

A way to keep her place in class during the weeks she cannot pay, so she is not always starting over. She wants readers to understand that young people like her are not lazy; they are carrying more than people can see.

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