“I prepare bamboo mats for a living. My mornings usually start with blood oozing out of my fingers. This happens as I scrape the bamboo logs into thin sticks. I learned this skill from my mother. My father passed away when I was a little boy. It was only my mother and me who had each other’s back all through. Coming from a poor family, it was important for us to have a father figure. Someone who could teach me more than just scraping bamboo. Well, my mother made sure I never felt his absence in my life.

It was heart-wrenching to see kids of my age attend school. I wished to attain an education and earn enough money. It was the only goal I had aimed for. Well, life had something different planned for me. I got married at the age of eighteen. My wife has always supported me during the toughest days of my life. Being blessed with two sons, all that we wished for was for them to not experience the life we did. We worked hard so that we could give them the right education they deserve. Now they work in a private company. Believe me, this is the biggest change we as a family have experienced in our lives for generations.

Having said that, there are days when I wish my children realized, it is time for them to support and take care of their aged parents. But what keeps me going every single day is the skill I am gifted with. It is this skill that helps us earn our meal for the day.”