What would you risk to get an education? Would you risk your safety or your life?
For some, risking one’s life or safety is worthwhile because one day, the reward is a better quality of life. Knowledge is definitely power. With better education, you have the power to choose higher-paying jobs, a healthier environment, and better options for your family.
For some children in the world, the journey to school means braving the elements, or completing a mentally and physically intense two-hour journey before class begins. After a day of languages, math, history, and other subjects, it’s the same gruelling journey back home.
Would you attempt these dangerous ways to school? Here are some of the risky routes that children around the world take to school.
Braving Subarctic Temperatures
In Oimjakon, temperatures can drop below 40 degrees Celcius. The harsh weather makes the journey to school a chilling experience. Lives will be at risk if the school bus breaks down or gets stuck more than thirty minutes in the snow.
Climbing a Steep 90 Degree Cliff
In the Philippines, there are children who take a shortcut through the jungle to climb the Pam-Pang: a cliff with a slope of 90 degrees in some areas. After a rainfall, the roots and soil become more slippery than usual. Surprisingly, children climb this cliff wearing flip flops!
Rowing a Leaky Boat in Dangerous Waters
In Nicaragua, three sisters must work as a team to paddle their leaky dugout through a mangrove, then a river, to get to school. On the way, they risk encounters with snakes, strong rivers currents, and alligators.
Getting to school for these students is physically demanding, and after a full day of school, they face the same risks on the way home. Would you face the same dangers to get an education?
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