1. WRITTEN IN HER EYES
(Maribel Rubio Plaza. 5th grade class. English)
She has an open, determined look in her eyes as if she wanted to take the world by
storm. Her name’s Nati, and she’s one of the most responsible and hardworking
students attending the fourth grade class in a primary school, like so many others.
When I saw her for the first time I couldn’t help thinking: “this girl will go far”.
But there was an insurmountable obstacle in her way which I was not aware of at that
time.
She’s a Romany girl, and just as her mother, grandmother and all previous women in
her family, she’s proud of what she stands for. But, this very source of her pride will
one day become the wall that prevents her from achieving her expectations.
We were about to celebrate The World Day of Roma at school and Nati’s mother had
been invited to participate. When I met her we had a talk about Natis’ future. Her words
were devastating: “Of course I’d like my daughter to go to university, but none of the
Romany women I know has ever been to college. We have no choice, and Nati will
eventually live up there in the hill, as we all do”.
I felt really sad and helpless imagining those eyes that wanted to take the world by
storm, fixed on the ground looking down forever.
Unfortunately Nati’s story is not the only one. I could see that look in Auatif, Dunia,
Fátima and so many other girls.
No matter how advanced our society is, these girls will never have the same
opportunities that you and I have. Unless we get together and begin a deep social
revolution, someone will carry on writing the end of these girls’ stories even before they
can start living them.