Poverty

Nirmala was absent from school several times. I decided to pay her a visit to find out her problems. This was what I saw as I open the pot, its only chili water to drink for her lunch. She had not eaten rice for the last two days. There's no more rice left. Her mother left her and ran away with another man since she was four. Her father, a drug addict, seldom home. The father had sold off most of the things at home for money. The house was empty. Nirmala, though not excellent in academic but she was a good student. "I always hungry teacher." She lives with her grandmother who is 65 years old, still working as a sweeper for RM15 a day. But most of the time she was sick at home. This kind of agony is common among our poor students in Malaysia. Poverty is the main reason why they are not excellent in school. They are the neglected group. I tried to reach for aids from varies organizations. Now Nirmala is still schooling , not giving up though the life is tough for her. "Through education, you can change your fate," I always tell her.