Last November, Domingo could not go on the school outing as his granny insisted that he work or if he did go that the teacher would give her the money that Domingo would have earned that morning.

Around 4 a.m. Domingo, who is ten years old, hears the noises of people moving out of his neighbourhood as they go looking for work. He and his brothers and sisters live in a single room with his granny. At five thirty am he is called. He gets up, washes himself at the tap outside his one-roomed house. Dressing is a simple affair:- a tee shirt and shorts, no shoes! He walks to work which is about
2 miles away or else he may be lucky and jump on to a bus and not have to pay. He has no money.

He looks after cars which park outside the Courts. Most people start work at 7 a.m. When he as some tips he buys a sandwich from a woman who sells them on the side of the road. The morning can be a long wait, but he usually earns about an Irish punt which is the amount his granny expects him to bring back home. When work stops around mid-day he returns home, again looking for a free lift on a bus. Back home, no meal to sit down to, he hands over the coins, four thousand guaranís, which come in units of 500, 100 and 50. He tidies himself up and heads off in the opposite direction to an alternative school, La Escuelita where classes start at 2 p.m. He meets his pals and awaits the arrival of the teachers. He greets each one with a wonderful big smile and shakes hands with the male teachers and he gets a hug from the lady teachers. In class he learns the vowels and numbers. There are only 10 children around his table and they are all at the same level as they have not gone to school before. They can not afford to buy a uniform, or books to go to a real school. He plays football during the break and just before 5 p.m. like his companions he washes his hands and sits down to what will be his "supper", the teachers prepare chocolate and a bun for each child. The children take it in turn to say grace. When they are finished they wash their cup and go home.

He plays a bit around his home and by 9 p.m. he is fast asleep as he has an early start next day.