Wadley is an 8 year old girl from Haiti. Wadley loved going to school to learn, and after the earthquake hit, her mother could not afford to send her to school.
This is Azmera. She is 14 and from Ethiopia. It is common for girls of her age to be married. But in Ethiopia, the law is that girls must be 18 to be married. Unfortunately, girls as young as 7 are being married off for money.
These two girls had something great in common. They both were not afraid to stand up to those who brought them down, and make a better life for themselves. In Wadley's case, after the earthquake hit Haiti, and her mother didn't have the money to send her to school, Wadley pushed to go to school anyway. She noticed one day that her teacher was teaching students under a tent by the refuge camp. Wadley showed up one day, but was asked to leave because her mother didn't have the money to pay. Even though her mother told her she couldn't go back because of this, she went back the next day, ready to learn. Again, the teacher asked her to leave. Wadley responded by saying that each day that she is asked to leave, she will still return the next day. Because of her perseverance, the teacher actually allowed her to stay. She knew that an education was important for her, and she made sure that she got to school. Azmera stood up to oppressors in a similar way. Azmera's father and sister had died, leaving her mother a widow with a son and daughter. The elders in her village wanted Azmera to marry because of her family situation. When a stranger (an older one) came along to marry her, her mother was prepared to marry her off, but her brother vowed that he would sell all he owned to keep her in school. As well as her brother speaking out against it, Azmera said no, she did not want to be married yet. She wanted to stay in school. She was taking a big step for her future by using her own voice to make her own choice.
Both of these girls stood up for what they wanted and believed in. In comparison to girls in America, these girls have it tough. Girls in America have the luxury of attending school and most of them see it as the only option. In our society it is understood that girls and boys will go to school to get the education they need to succeed in life. They would never even think of being married to an older man. Unfortunately, girls around the world are not as privilege as the girls in America, and American children often don't even realize this fact. This documentary really opened my eyes to the privileges we have, and the ethical issues for young girls all around the world.
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