In the spring of 1987, Darunee, a bright young girl living in a rural Thai village, had just turned seven. Darunee had many exciting plans for when she grew up.
Education is compulsory in Thailand only through the sixth grade.
There is a middle school in her village, but its doors were locked to Darunee. The cost of schooling beyond sixth grade was insurmountable for her family and the families of most of her friends. The northeast of Thailand, where Darunee's village is located, is the poorest region in the country. Paradoxically, the industrial and commercial development which has brought such growth to the big cities has served to worsen the plight of the rural Thai villages as the young people, like Darunee, are often forced to abandon their homes in order to survive. In Darunee's case, however, things have turned out differently.