Wednesday, November 7
My father gave me and my brother a little money. My stomach is
all twisted up with hunger, but I don't want to spend the money on
anything as frivolous as food. Because it's money my parents earn
with their sweat and blood.
I have to study well so that I won't ever again be tortured by
hunger. . . .
In a drought-stricken corner of rural China, an education can be
the difference between a life of crushing poverty and the chance
for a better future. But money is scarce, and the low wages paid
for backbreaking work aren't always enough to pay school fees.
Ma Yan's heart-wrenching, honest diary chronicles her struggle
to escape hardship and bring prosperity to her family through her
persistent, sometimes desperate, attempts to continue her
schooling.
First published in France in 2002, the diary of ma yan created
an outpouring of support for this courageous teenager and others
like her -- support that led to the creation of an international
organization dedicated to helping these children . . . all because
of one ordinary girl's extraordinary diary.