Before and after school, many of my students—particularly the girls—are responsible for countless hours of chores. Whether it’s planting crops, fetching buckets of water, or tending to cattle, the breadth of their responsibilities extends far beyond their schoolwork in rural Nepal. For example, Sanju, a student in my tenth grade class, washes dishes at her family’s hotel before and after school.
At the same time, my students are incredibly committed to their education. For example, Mandira and Gayatri walk well over an hour to and from school each day. The road is slippery and quite scary, particularly during monsoon season. Fallen branches often obstruct the road, making it more challenging for students. This doesn’t stop them. In fact, they’ve even enrolled in extra morning courses, which begin at 6:30 a.m. Their arduous commutes begin, on foot, before the sun rises. – See more at: http://www.teachforall.org/network-learning/when-students-teach#sthash.c63YXXSe.dpuf