Do I Have A Choice?
We all have a dream job, and most of us have a first job. Do you remember yours? I certainly remember mine.
My first job was as a teaching assistant at a school in a village. I taught English and helped children improve their grammar. The salary was barely enough to cover my monthly expenses, but I was happy. It was my first step into the working world, and it gave me a sense of purpose and independence.
I also shared a room with a wonderful roommate who treated me with kindness and respect. Even today, she remains one of my closest friends. That was more than a decade ago, yet I can still vividly remember the laughter, the conversations, and the simple joys of those days. Looking back, I would say they were some of the best days of my life.
Perhaps you are remembering your own first job right now. Maybe it was exciting, maybe it was difficult, or perhaps it was a little bit of both. Whatever the experience was, it marked the beginning of a journey. It was a milestone that helped shape who you are today.
But not every child gets the chance to dream about a first job.
There are children who should be sitting in classrooms, learning, making friends, and preparing for their future. Instead, many of them have lost the opportunity to attend school because of poverty, difficult living conditions, natural disasters, or a lack of access to education. The dream of graduating from school has been taken away from them long before they have the chance to achieve it.
Rasika, a 10-year-old girl from a remote village in the hilly region of Chitwan, had her childhood taken away from her far too soon. After her mother left home, she was raised by her father, who struggled with alcohol addiction. Over time, he accumulated debt at a small roadside diner along the highway where he regularly drank on credit. Unable to repay what he owed, he sent Rasika to work there instead.
Instead of spending her days in a classroom, learning and playing with friends, Rasika spent long hours washing dishes, cleaning tables, and serving customers. The diner mainly served travelers and truck drivers who stopped for food and drinks. Business was busiest late at night when large trucks arrived from different parts of the country. While other children her age were sleeping or finishing their homework, Rasika was still working.
The environment was not a place for a child. Surrounded by alcohol, loud adults, Rasika often felt frightened and alone. At an age when she should have been worrying about school assignments and playing with friends, she was burdened with responsibilities no child should have to carry.
For children like Rasika, a dream job is not even something they think about. Before they can imagine their future, they are forced to worry about surviving the present. Their childhood is replaced by responsibilities, fear, and uncertainty. The opportunity to dream of graduating, building a career, and choosing their own path in life feels far beyond their reach.
After learning Rasika's story, I realized how privileged I was to have a normal childhood. I was able to go to school, make friends, and dream about my future. I could think about what I wanted to become, where I wanted to work, and the places I wanted to go. I can still look back and remember my first job with happiness.
I cannot imagine being ten years old and already working long hours to repay someone else's debt. I cannot imagine having my childhood stolen before I even had the chance to understand what childhood truly was. My first job was a choice and the beginning of a journey. For Rasika, work was not a choice at all.
A small helping hand can change the course of a child's life. Thanks to the support she received, Rasika is now living in a safe environment. She has returned to school, completes her homework in the evenings, and is once again able to enjoy the childhood that every child deserves. Today, she has something she did not have before: a chance to dream. A chance to dream of her first job.
And most importantly, a chance to choose her own future.