December 18, 2022

“In the 80s, when the school in our village closed down, we couldn’t travel for hours on foot to attend the school in the city. Consequently, I dropped out of school in fifth grade. I started helping my father in Chia Sumac, we picked apples, and our livelihood depended on these products. I got older and became a stonecutter in the early 2000s, and we were building houses. From then, my life blended with hammers and stones. Now, if I only look at the stone, I know if it will be useful for building or not. My work is tough, and I work eight hours daily; I suffer during the night because of the pain in my hands and shoulders. However, I’m still happy because the food I bring to the table for my children is the fruit of my labor.”