Children are like rubber balls . With their high energy , they can rebound from hard surfaces and bounce back up when they fall down . Despite their small sizes and tender ages , they can show amazing resilience in the face of the life ’ s challenges .
The rebuilding of a 90-year-old school :
New structure is a safe haven for children and teachers
by Josh Bradley
The children of Spinz village in Tajikistan are no different . Born into one of the poorest regions of the world , situated in a rugged landscape , and subject to brutally cold winters , they constantly bounce back from the adversities they confront each day .
Dilshodov Chorshanbe School sits on a rocky mountainside in Spinz . For children to reach the school , which also supports another neighboring village , they must walk along a steep , narrow mountain road with no guard rails , sidewalks , or shoulders , jumping aside every time a car or truck speeds by . Along the way , they have to navigate irrigation canals and make way for herds of cattle or goats . For decades and generations , their destination was a decrepit school building .
Built in 1910 , the school ’ s original wooden roof began to give way over the years . Eventually , a tin roof was installed directly over the crumbling original . But the added weight of the second roof soon caused the walls to bow . Teachers lived in constant fear that an earthquake , which are common in the region , might bring the whole structure down on their heads , or that a spark from the wood-burning stoves used to heat the classrooms would alight upon the dusty wooden remains of the original roof and set the entire structure ablaze .
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