" I was very unhappy about leaving home and I was afraid of going to the city, but I knew it was my only hope to continue my schooling."
Sawai
"I hope I can make a lot of money. I hope I can go back to my village and give all my relatives presents."
Assane
"It was like a prison, we were locked inside. We worked from 5 a.m. until midnight making carpets and we slept among the machines."
Kumar
"All my friends were taking heroin. I was the only one who didn't. Instead of changing my friends, I started taking heroin too."
Paula
"Although I like my job and I have a lot of friends on the market, I don't choose to work. I work because I must, to help my mother and to pay for my food and so on."
Pablo
Copyright New Internationalist Magazine 1998, 1999
The New Internationalist in Easier English