Ms. Ba could not stop smiling. Or talking! She and our translator were chatting like old friends, filling the space with laughter and conversation. But here’s the thing that stopped our translator mid-sentence: this little girl, so young, already spoke multiple dialects. Not one, not two, but several. Our translator looked at us with wide eyes like he wanted to make sure we understood what we were hearing. In a region where villages sit close but languages shift across the mountains, she had quietly collected multiple.
She told us: “”I used to get water with my mom. But right now, and from now on, I don’t have to do it anymore. I am so happy there is water in my house.””
Water is now accessible at her home. Multiple languages already in her pocket. Ms. Ba is not waiting for the world to come to her. She is getting ready to go get it.
I took two photos. One stayed with her. One is coming home.
