What is your name? How old are you? What is the name of your village?
- My name is Chotu Kanwar. I am 15, from Golia.
Describe your family. What are the challenges and hardships your family has faced?
- I have my mother, father and three sisters and two brothers. My father works in agriculture.
We don’t have enough money. That is the problem.
What do you like about Veerni?
- If I were sitting at home right now I wouldn’t be learning as much. We do have a sewing machine at home, but here the teacher is very good and I’m learning so much.
I went to the hostel for a year, maybe two years ago. But my mother needed me home to work, so I had to leave. I’ve studied up to the 8th grade and I passed the tests, all except the English part, which I failed. I never went back to school after that.
What makes you happy?
- Sewing makes me happy. I like new dresses. I am very happy when I go to my maternal grandparents to visit.
What makes you cry?
- I cry when I get headaches. I get them about every two weeks or so. I take some pain killer when I get them.
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
- I would like to study, continue to sew and have more money.
What would you like to do in the future?
- I would like to be a sewing teacher. My parents will marry me when I’m 21. I would like to have two children.
What is your favorite thing?
- My favorite thing is small children. I love to play with them.