| Mariam, aged 12,
lives in Siguin Voussé village, about an hour’s walk from Lergho, where her school
is. The village name means ‘sit down and have a rest’. Mariam lives in a
single-roomed house with her mother, Awa, and nine year old sister Sali. Awa’s
husband, Boureima, has his own house nearby. Mariam is in year five at Lergho primary
school. Mariam’s first language is Bissa, but all her lessons at school are taught in
French. "Mum wakes me up in the morning. Sali and I hear her clanking the pots that
need to be washed but we like to stay in bed a bit longer, to keep warm. It’s cold,
so I wrap a shawl around me when I go out to wash my face. After I’ve washed I pray
in the yard.
"If mum has lit the fire, I heat up the wu [a stiff white porridge made of millet,
sorghum or maize flour] left from the previous evening and eat it for breakfast on my own.
We don’t have a school uniform, but I try to keep some clothes specially for school.
It’s still dark when we leave home at 6 am to go to school.
 |
"My best friend is Adjeratu, my cousin. We walk to
school together and we play together. If I’m in any difficulty, I know she’ll
help me. A good friend listens to what you say, and respects you. If one of us needs a
drink of water, the other will give what she has."
more  |
