You are a seventh grade student named Riham. Your father works as a laborer in Israel and your mom takes care of you and your two brothers. Your family is Muslim and attends the village mosque regularly.

About 950 people live in your village, called Zeef, which is part of the Palestinian territory of the West Bank. The original village has been separated into two different parts by an access road (Route 60) built by the Israeli government. The road was built to provide a safer and more convenient way for the Jewish settlers to get to their homes. The Jewish settlement was built about 2 miles from your village but it is completely different from where you live. The settlers live in big beautiful houses in a neighborhood that looks a lot like a suburb in the U.S. There are community centers, synagogues, and, of course, running water, electricity, sewers, and garbage pick-up. In contrast, some of your village is connected to water and electricity, but it suffers from severe water shortages and poor electrical power. There is no sewer system or garbage collection and there are no paved roads in the village. It is not connected to a telecommunications network. The building of houses and other construction work is limited by the Israeli government in your village because of the Jewish settlement down the road.

You and your brothers go to school in the village. Like many schools in the West Bank, your school has no running water, no electricity and only goes to the 9th grade. You would very much like to continue your education past the 9th grade. To do so, you must attend the village school in Yatta, which is about four miles away. Your parents are supportive but have no means of transporting you back and forth to school. This is a real test for you. If your education is important, you’ll walk the distance along the access road, Route 60, and continue your schooling. Otherwise, you’ll remain in the village with your family and those friends who also complete their studies at the end of 9th grade.