When I feel unheard and unseen
I once believed school was a place where I would learn, grow, and do something meaningful. A place where teachers would guide me and where I would find friends who shared my dreams. But somewhere along the way, that hope started to fade.
In my school, there are many adults, the teacher in charge, the school coordinator, and someone who leads the school activities. They often talk among themselves, but when it comes to me, it feels like they all stand together just to make me feel small. When every student is late, they only point fingers at me. When others make mistakes, they stay silent. But when it is me, they shout, they blame, and sometimes, they hurt me, not just with their words, but with how they make me feel.
A few months ago, I started a project I was truly excited about. It was something I had dreamt of for a long time, something that made me feel proud and capable. I made the plan, did the work, and even invited another student to join me. At first, she said nothing. But later, she began telling everyone that it was her project, her idea.
When I tried to stand up for myself, she twisted the story. She told people that I was loud and rude, while she stayed quiet, and somehow, everyone believed her. Suddenly, I was the problem. The whispers began, and soon, the teasing and harassment followed.
Things only got worse. I was called into rooms where I was scolded for things I had not done. Once, they even accused me of not telling my classmates about my medicine, something that was not true. The adults who were supposed to protect me began to side with those who hurt me. The manager, the coordinator, the teacher in charge, they all spoke in ways that made me feel more and more alone.
Every day, I try to hold on. I tell myself to stay strong, to keep learning, to keep trying. But it is hard. It is hard when the very people who are meant to make you feel safe start making you doubt your own worth.
Sometimes, the pain feels too heavy. I find myself wondering why things turned out this way, when all I ever wanted was to do something good. I wanted to make my papa proud. I wanted to help.
But instead, I have been left feeling scared, unheard, and invisible.
No child should ever feel this way, not in school, not anywhere. Every student deserves a space where they can be themselves, where they can speak without fear, where they can dream without being silenced.
Because school should be more than just a place to learn.
It should be a place to feel safe.
