The Girl Who Dreamed of Education

Every day, Tasuke, a young girl living in Pegunungan Tengah, Papua, wakes up to prepare to sell betel nuts. No breakfast, no refreshments, no school. Her mother drives Tasuke to the front of a kiosk every day, setting up a table and a pile of areca nuts. Ready to sell for 50,000 rupiah a day. The money goes to buy food for Tasuke, her mother and younger siblings.

This 10-year-old has never known education. She never went to school because there was no money, and free schools were far from home. She grew up illiterate. She grew up to be a child who was used to working to earn money for his daily meals. She grew up not knowing a protective father figure. Instead, this little girl helped her family survive from day to day. A far cry from the ideal 10-year-old girl's life.

In her heart, Tasuke wanted to go to school. "I want to go to school like my friends who can pay school fees," she says. She wants to be like other children who wake up every morning not to sell betel nuts in front of people's stalls. But put on a uniform and go to school, enjoying the time to absorb knowledge. Gaining knowledge that is useful for the future. Lighting Tasuke's path to prosperity.

With your support, Tasuke and other children in remote and underdeveloped areas can fulfill their hopes. Childhood HOPE is a way for them to survive, recover and build a brighter future. Give hope today through wahanavisi.org/childhope.

Writer: Mariana Kurniawati (Communication Executive)