LIVE
Meet the Students
In the Time for School Series, we follow seven kids from seven countries from their first day at school to what will hopefully be their high school graduation, to show the struggles and rewards of getting an education. Meet Joab from Kenya, Shugufa from Afghanistan, Raluca from Romania, Jefferson from Brazil, Neeraj from India, Ken from Japan, and Nanavi from Benin.
Meet Jefferson (Brazil)
Raised in Rocinha, one of Rio’s poorest neighborhoods, Jefferson attended school in part because his mother receives a government stipend through Bolsa Familia, an anti-poverty program that has boosted enrollment. Jefferson dreams of finishing school and becoming a soccer player.
Meet Joab (Kenya)
At 10 years old, Joab felt himself lucky to start first grade in a 70-student classroom without desks or chairs, in a school in Kibera, Nairobi’s largest slum. Like millions in Kenya, he could not study at all until the government eliminated primary school fees in 2003. He says, “I think, if I go to school and God helps me, I’ll become a pilot—or a mechanical engineer.”
Meet Ken (Japan)
On his first day of school, Ken could already read and write because he attended pre-K in one of the world’s finest educational systems. Ken’s parents aren’t wealthy, but pre-schools are state-run and affordable to virtually all. An eager student, Ken had a career plan anyone can appreciate: “When I grow up I want to own a toy store—or a candy store!”
Meet Nanavi (Benin)
In the tiny African country of Benin, 1 in 4 children are out of school – most of them girls. Nanavi was the first girl from her family to enroll, thanks to a government program aimed at closing the gender gap. From day one she was paired with a marraine—an older female student—for daily support and company for the dangerous walk to and from school.
Meet Neeraj (India)
In rural India, Neeraj finally began her studies at age 10. But instead of joining her brothers at the state-run school during the day, Neeraj had to go to a special night school so she could look after younger siblings and help with farm chores. Neeraj dreams of becoming a teacher and hopes to study through 10th grade. “I’ve never seen a girl in my village study beyond that,” she says.
Meet Raluca (Romania)
In post-Communist Romania, seven-year-old Raluca handled a 45-minute subway commute by herself to attend one of Bucharest’s finest public schools. Both of her parents work long hours to give her every opportunity in the country’s new free-market economy. “What counts is for the child not to lack anything. We struggle for it,” says her father.
Meet Shugufa (Afghanistan)
Shugufa was finally able to enroll in school at age 11 after spending years in a Pakistani refugee camp during the Taliban’s rule. Her father staunchly believes in educating his daughters, and stands up to neighbors’ criticism by quoting an Islamic verse: “Education is the obligation of every person, male or female.”
