Leila is six years old. She has very large eyes, curly hair and dark skin.
As they paint themselves in class, Leila doesn’t use the same color as the others to paint her skin....
“That’s not skin color!”
“Well, it’s mine....”
“Oh yes, of course!”
When Leila doesn’t get the same dish in the dining room as the others, some of her classmates are surprised:
“Wasn’t there enough food for you?”
“Yes, but I don’t eat pork because I’m Muslim.”
“Oh yes, of course!”
A sweet story that teaches us that differences are often only superficial, that grown-ups are more prejudiced than children, and that everything is easier to understand if we know how to listen to each other.
“Diversity may seem difficult to deal with. What to do when children ask about the differences they see in their daily life that they don’t understand?
It seems that for some time now we’ve simply repeated that we are all equal and that it’s better not to ask too many questions.
A child’s curiosity is one of society’s assets, and we must not waste it. Let’s educate them in the equality of rights and duties, but above all in diversity, which is what makes us a vital and dynamic human group.
Let’s make sure they’re not afraid to ask questions and to supply them with tools so that every question they ask makes them a better person.”
Miriam Hatibi
