My name is Gustavo, I’m six years old and I live in Guatemala. It’s five am and I have to go to work. I’m tired as my baby sister, Karla, was crying all night and as I sleep in the same bed as her, my parents and older brothers I didn’t get any sleep. My father was a bit drunk and upset last night so my ribs hurt; they felt better last week. I deserved it though as I was tired yesterday and woke up late. I go straight to work as I only have one set of clothing and I sleep in that. GVI school starts at 9am but I have to work first and then again after school. My father says I have to work early as I waste time in school all day. If I don’t work I am worthless to my father.
So I get on the horse with my father and head to the fields. I feel hungry as I haven’t eaten since GVI school yesterday, the food we produce is to send to other countries, not for us as we get more money then. Just before nine I come back and head to GVI school. On the way I meet up with Eduardo and Jorge who are my friends. I met them at GVI school.
I can hardly concentrate as I am so hungry but I get Atol (porridge) when I arrive at GVI school and after thirty minutes I don’t feel hungry anymore.
I find it so hard to concentrate at school as I am tired from working and sometimes still hungry. Today I am also nervous as I have to pick up the results of my Guatemalan school exams. GVI pays for me to go to school as I can get qualifications but I don’t learn anything. The classes are overcrowded so I just copy from a book all day. I am different as I am indigenous. My teacher tells me I am different. She treats me differently. She ignores me.
At GVI school my teacher is friendly. She smiles and hugs me. She tells me I am good, I am clever, I am starting to think I am too.
At my Guatemalan school I am nobody but at GVI school my teacher thinks its fun to spend time with me, to teach me, to play with me. I have friends here, friends like me, who like me. It’s fun here.
I really studied for my exams. It’s hard as I am busy working until late and then my sister needs help and my father is angry. I have nowhere to study as there is only one room in my house. My GVI teacher has helped me though.
I have my results now. I thought I was clever. I thought I had done well. My teacher tells me that it is because I am Indigenous. She says my results will always be lower even if I answer everything correct. I don’t understand what is wrong with me. Why I am treated so differently.
It’s OK though, I have my GVI school, my GVI teacher, she thinks I am special, she thinks I am clever. She tells me every day. She thinks I can become a doctor, a teacher, whatever I want. I am starting to think I can too.
