VOA标准英语--新德里的街头儿童出版报纸

新德里的街头儿童出版报纸

Newspapers occasionally write about the plight¹ of children living in the streets, but a group of homeless kids in India's capital New Delhi is putting together their own monthly publication with stories about their struggles and their concerns. Balaknama, or "children's voice" is written, edited and compiled by children up to 19 years old and reaches about 10,000 readers.

From poverty to child labor², underage marriages, sexual abuse and drugs - there is no shortage of topics for Balaknama.

“When reports arrive and the team sits down to select the stories, lots of fights break out. They argue ‘this story will have more impact than that story.’ So there’s a lot of debates before the final selection goes to print,” said Shanno, a consulting editor of Balaknama.

The newspaper has 70 reporters in several states, 14 of them reporting regularly from the capital. All of the writers, editors and managers are homeless children.

“I used to beg, do drugs and sometimes go rag picking. Then I learnt about Balaknama and began to work for it. First I was a junior reporter, then a reporter and now I’m all set to become the editor,” said Jyoti Kumari, a Balaknama reporter.

Many of the children have jobless and illiterate³ parents. As budding reporters they now earn money and many are enrolled⁴ in distance learning programs that may help advance their careers.

“What I couldn’t do, at least my daughter is doing. She’s helping⁵ others and she’s also helping us,” said Sunita Devi, Kumari’s mother.

The monthly eight-page newspaper began in 2002 as a quarterly. It has changed the lives of the children who publish it and aims at improving the livelihood⁶ of thousands of others. It is supported by NGOs and charity groups.

“They feel very empowered and encouraged when people appreciate them, and when they talk to the authorities with the confidence, and also before the media… I think this is a really powerful tool to empower them,” said Sanjay Gupta, director of Chetna, a sponsor of Balaknama.

 

The newspaper is sold for about three cents, less than the price of a small cup of tea in India. But the modest sum gives these children hope for a future off the streets.

1 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

4 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。