Mail From Jay-Pea (Counted)

Mail From Jay-Pea

May 9th, 2011

Good Morning Pandas,

Finally we can talk without fearing to be eavesdropped on by Evron. We really drove those robots out of Panfu once and for all – with the help of our love! 

This morning, I found a letter from Jay-Pea in my bamboo mail box. It made me think and left me sad and happy at the same time. Shall I read it to you? Here it is:

“Yo Pandas,

How are you? I will come to visit Panfu on Wednesday, this time with a special cargo: Fair Trade Tea from India.  What that is? I’d best tell you the story of Saroj, an Indian girl whom I met two years ago. Her life really moved me and opened my eyes to the way goods are traded. Imagine, Saroj was barely 10 years old and had to work on a tea plantation together with her parents and her four siblings every day.

For school, holidays or presents, the family was missing time as well as money. Even though the family worked hard every day, they barely had enough money for a small house with two rooms and a bit of food. Unfortunately, they only had this money when they could actually sell the tea. That was very difficult, because her parents had no car or van to drive to the city and offer the tea on the market.

Saroj always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but she also knew that it would remain a dream if she couldn’t read or write. Just like her ancestors and potentially her future children, she would probably have to work on a farm her whole life long…”

This is really sad, don’t you think? Unfortunately, many children in developing countries live under conditions similar to Saroj’s.

Contrary to many other children, Saroj’s story has a little bit of a happy ending. I will read that part to you on Wednesday.

Paws up for Panfu,

Ella and Max

Joelle

Co-Author