little mommy

I can remember when I was a little girl I always wanted to hold the baby if there was one around. "Please, can't I hold the baby, I'll be careful," I would beg. Occasionally the adults would sit me in a chair or on a couch and gently place the baby on my lap for a few minutes of supervised baby holding.
I often see kids, many younger than the girl in this photo (she is maybe 8), with baby brothers or sisters strapped to their backs. And it certainly isn't because they begged for this privelage. They don't have much choice in the matter; this is their work, their contribution, to take care of and carry around the baby is their duty. Here is another picture with this same little girl, now with me so that you can have a better idea of how small she is.
Instead of being sent to school she stays at home to help care for this baby and perhaps other younger siblings. She probably does lots of work everyday such as drawing and hauling water, lighting fires and cooking, sweeping the yard (yeah, as opposed to raking... many people here sweep their yard with a hand broom everyday, the yard is basically their living room), taking the grains to the mill, looking after grandparents, running errands, buying food at the market, ect. She doesn't have the opportunity to learn to read. She is given very little time for herself, very little time to play. When I stop to think about the differences in my childhood and that of a little girl like this one, I am so thankful for what I've had.