Dasani - Invisible Child

After reading the 5-part story on Dasani and her family I was left in deep thought with many questions. I had a few questions when reading like, Why does the city not put money towards fixing the shelter?, Why do they even examine the shelter if nothing is being done to fix it?, and Why do the police not take the problems going on in the building, like rape, burglary, etc., seriously?.I was angry that all these people are being ignored. And that's just at Auburn there's tons of shelters out there with families just like the ones that lived with Dasani that are being left behind. I get disgusted when thinking of all the children that suffer in these shelters and how their families are probably trying to leave but they don't have anyone to help. At the end of the story I was left wondering what Dasani was doing now. The common questions like what happened to Chanel and Supreme, how are they liking their home, how is the family doing, etc, came to mind. What really struck out to me was the way the author ended the story. I was confused on why the author would leave us so abruptly without a conclusion but, I'm starting to realize that no ending would be satisfactory for me. I think the author was right in leaving the story off where she did. Even with more parts I feel I would still want more because Dasani's story is never ending. She has so much of her life left and is full of so much potential. The author did her job, showed us what we needed to see and when she felt she got her point across she stopped. I feel like she's leaving the story unwritten for Dasani to write herself. Overall, I really enjoyed the piece. I learned a lot about being homeless and how shelters work. I learned that a roof above someone’s head doesn't necessarily mean they have a home and that homeless shelters aren't the safe havens I believed them all to be. I was able to understand why so many people never get out of poverty and how there is an impulse to buy new things once you have the money to afford them. After reading about their life, I felt very grateful for what I have but shameful at the same time for all the things I take for granted on a daily basis. 

Despite our lives being so different, I see a bit of myself in Dasani. She's determined, filled with hope, is genuinely curious about everything, and never quits. I admire her strength and her ability to rise back up after having a bad day as well as her decision to make a better life for herself. Rather than get into drugs, stealing, etc., she planned on saving up her money and buying her family a home and now she aspires to go to college which I think is wonderful. If I could talk to Dasani I would tell her to never give up. I would tell her that she shouldn't let where she is from hold her back from achieving her dreams. I would tell her that she has the potential to accomplish great things. I would tell her how much I admire her. Lastly, I would tell her that the president and his family do live at the white house.