Back To School!Sample

Being Thankful

Today we meet Pomi. She’s 9-years-old and lives in Bangladesh. Each morning, she opens her eyes and looks at the early-morning light shining through her window. Her family doesn't have a clock; they tell time by the brightness of sunlight. 

As she dresses in her school uniform, she is thankful for how beautiful it is. The uniform costs $5.07; her family could survive for four days on that amount. It is only because of the Compassion center that she has a uniform to wear. She also receives a new pair of shoes ($2.17) from the center each year.

On her way to school with her friends, Pomi arrives at a river and removes her shoes. Every day she crosses the river twice, once to go to school and once to get back home. Class starts at 8:00 a.m., and today she will study Bengali, English, mathematics, drawing and sewing. Her monthly school fee is 72 cents. In addition, her yearly admission fee is $4.34, and her schoolbooks cost $7.25. Compassion has given her everything she needs for her studies, lifting the burden of her education from her parents.

The Compassion child development center is right next to her school. At noon, she goes next door to have lunch. It's Monday, and today the menu is rice, eggs, vegetables, and lentils. "I love eggs. I am very happy when there are eggs," says Pomi. Four eggs cost 43 cents, so her family never has eggs at home. 

When the center activities end at 5:00 p.m., Pomi crosses the river again and goes home. After helping her mother collect water, she plays with her best friend, Jui, bathes, and sits at her family's table to complete her studies.

Pomi eats rice and vegetables with her mother and waits for her father to come home. Before falling asleep, Pomi thanks God for her school and her sponsor and looks ahead to another hopeful day.

Are you thankful for your backpack full of school supplies? Maybe you helped your parents pick out a new backpack and helped fill it with a long list of items. Take time to thank God that you have the opportunity to go to school.

Learn more about Pomi’s school day!