Promises for Tomorrow

<p style='margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:0cm;font-size:15px;font-family:Calibrisans-serif;'><span style='font-size:16px;font-family:Arial Novasans-serif;color:black;background:white;'>Rekha is a 12-year-old girl growing up as the eldest daughter of Indian immigrants in South Africa during the 1940s and 1950s. Despite her strong and determined nature she is innocent in many ways and struggles with her life as the cook cleaner and caregiver for her family all while enduring emotional and physical abuse from her mother. As an Indian female she is controlled abused and marginalized and is expected to fulfill the patriarchal role of a suitable wife. When she discovers she is promised to a boy from a good family Rekha dreams of a life filled with love financial stability and freedom in an effort to escape her current life of hardship. Through Rekha's story we gain insight into the unique South African Indian experience including customs and traditions surrounding marriage childbirth and death as well as the struggles of newly arrived merchant immigrants trying to survive and succeed in a colonial racist and apartheid society.</span></p>