This is Gula (meaning "flower" in Kurdish). Gula is part of the cleaning crew that takes care of the eight floors here at Rizgary hospital.
***
Gula was staring at the floor for most of our interview. When she asked me why I was interviewing her specifically, I told her about my research. Gula swallowed her breath, as if she was intimidated. To break the ice, I continued to tell her that I have family here and I'm also just visiting my family. She asked what I did in America, and I replied that, like her, I'm a working girl.
***
Mina Saad: "Do you attend school?"
Gula: "There is no time. I work almost every day. I've spent so much time working, it's impossible to catch up now. My work hours are everyday. I am here from the early morning until the late afternoon. What school wants a student that needs extra attention?"
***
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Mina Saad: "Do you have sisters and brothers?"
Gula: "One sister and one brother."
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Mina Saad: "What do they do?"
Gula: "The same thing, but at different institutions."
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Mina Saad: "Do they work under the same conditions?"
Gula: "No, it's different everywhere you go."
***
Mina Saad: "Why work here?"
Gula: "This hospital is warm in the winters, I have heating. In the hot summers, there's air conditioning. What more do I need?"
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Mina Saad: "How long have you been here?
Gula: "I've been here since I was about 14."
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Mina Saad: "How does the hospital staff treat you?"
Gula: "Well, I can't complain. I have a job and this is what matters."
***
Mina Saad: "Is it difficult to work during Ramadhan, a time where you fast from sun-up to sun-down?"
Gula: "Of course. But you stay busy. I keep working and try to keep my mind on how I'm doing my job. If I become weak or need to take a break, we are allowed to take breaks--I have a rest period."
***
Mina Saad: "What do you thing of the idea of going back to school?"
Gula: (smiles and looks down) "Wishful thinking."
***
Gula is currently 17 years old.
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In Kurdistan, an education is a privilege. In the United States it is an opportunity.
***
Teenagers here will do anything for the chance at an education. These are the drop-out rates for students in the United States from 1980-2008.
| Status dropout rates of 16- through 24-year-olds, by race/ethnicity: Selected years, 1980-2008 | ||||||
| Year | Total1 | Race/ethnicity2 | ||||
| White | Black | Hispanic | Asian/Pacific Islander | American Indian/Alaska Native | ||
| 1980 | 14.1 | 11.4 | 19.1 | 35.2 | — | — |
| 1985 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 15.2 | 27.6 | — | — |
| 1990 | 12.1 | 9.0 | 13.2 | 32.4 | 4.9! | 16.4! |
| 1995 | 12.0 | 8.6 | 12.1! | 30.0 | 3.9 | 13.4! |
| 1998 | 11.8 | 7.7 | 13.8 | 29.5 | 4.1 | 11.8 |
| 2000 | 10.9 | 6.9 | 13.1 | 27.8 | 3.8 | 14.0 |
| 2001 | 10.7 | 7.3 | 10.9 | 27.0 | 3.6 | 13.1 |
| 2002 | 10.5 | 6.5 | 11.3 | 25.7 | 3.9 | 16.8 |
| 9.9 | 6.3 | 10.9! | 23.5 | 3.9 | 15.0 | |
| 10.3 | 6.8 | 11.8 | 23.8 | 3.6 | 17.0 | |
| 9.4 | 6.0 | 10.4! | 22.4 | 2.9 | 14.0 | |
| 9.3 | 5.8 | 10.7 | 22.1 | 3.6 | 14.7 | |
| 8.7 | 5.3 | 8.4 | 21.4 | 6.1 | 19.3 | |
| 8.0 | 4.8 | 9.9 | 18.3 | 4.4 | 14.6 | |
***
Mina Saad Meman
