On Wednesday, 20 November the College organised a Soapbox event: seven of our girls presented short, sharp speeches exploring the various UN Rights of the Child. Thank you to our librarian, Mrs Gilroy, who made sure the event progressed smoothly and professionally. Our DAPS Leaders, Jennifer and Lohita were excellent MCs as we welcomed UNICEF representative, Ruzica Soldo, to the College. We also thank our Principal, Ms Farrugia, for her inspirational words at the end of the presentation.
Special mention must be made to all the wonderful girls who participated. Divena Sundaram, Chelsea Bryant, Molly Lewis, Sugani Muralithararan, Shreeya Anthanar, Aditi Shetty, and Halle Fleming proved once again that the future of Public Speaking at OLMC is in good hands. UNICEF described the girls as “passionate and compassionate” as they spoke on behalf of children across the globe. Below is one speech, in the form of a poem, by Aditi Shetty. Aditi also delivered her powerful speech at our College assembly:
In Aditi’s own words: My poem was in response to the terrible conditions face by some children in India who are forced to dig by hand for mica, a metal used in cosmetics to make them shimmer and shine.
The Cost of a Shimmer by Aditi Shetty (Year 7)
What does it mean when a child’s hands
are buried in the earth, pulling up mica
bright, shining bits of a buried world,
too dangerous, too sharp, too heavy?
What does it say about us,
when we let them dig in the dirt,
beneath collapsing walls of rock,
for something that glitters but harms,
a spark that can steal their breath?
These children in the mines of India,
their lives traded for a shimmer in makeup,
for powders and pigments that line our shelves
Do we think about their hands?
Small, fragile, blistered, cut,
Do we think about their childhoods?
Cracked, broken, buried, gone
But they still continue
grasping at stones that might end their lives.
“You have the right not to do unsafe work”
but what does a right mean
if it’s buried in darkness,
if children still die in the dust
for things they’ll never see or hold.
Is a shiny rock worth more than a child?
We can choose to look closer, to care,
to ask where things come from,
to stand with those who call for change.
We can give them back the safety they deserve,
a chance to leave the mines, to be children again.