I was sent to work in cigarette making factory for away from my family. I was forced to stand to do work before a machine in that factory. We cut tobacco into strips to stuff them into cigarettes. I cut and rolled tobacco paper leaves for ten hours a day. It was hard, uncomfortable work. Our legs often became very painful and stiff. If we did not work hard enough the supervisor would beat us with a stick.

My father never got better and he could not pay the moneylender, so I had to continue working at the cigarette –making company. It is a small factory. However, I hated working at the factory so much that ran away three times. Each time I was caught and beaten. After my last escape my ankles were tied with a one –meter chain. Because of that my ankles were always bruised and bleeding. I felt extremely unhappy, especially when I saw other children playing outside. I wished I could be free like them.

One day, when I was fourteen years old, a man came to the factory. He secretly took photograph of the children working. The next day we saw him enter the factory owner’s office carrying a package. We heard the two men yelling.

``You cannot chain children and make them work in these conditions.’’

``I can they are bonded laborers. Devadas, the moneylender, sends them here.’’

``Release these children immediately,’’ demanded the man, ``or I will send the photographs I love got here to all the newspapers in India. You can be arrested’’.

The man was charity worker. His name was Kishore and he. That is worked for a charity called Action for children. He must have been important because a few days later the factory owner started to give the children more food and time o rest. I was even luckier. Kishore took me away from the factory. 1 was no longer tied in chains like an animal. I was free. I was so happy that I broke down and cried.

At last I have got my life back! After I was freed from the factory, Kishore gave me a job working for his charity, action for children. So now, every afternoon and evening, I go to the city and ask rich people to donate money for our charity. I also distribute food to homeless children. In addition, I go to school every morning. One day I hope to complete my education and become a doctor so that I can help other children in need.