mothers touch || Maia's speech

Maia waited patiently, stood elegantly at the foot of the steps, for he opponent before her to depart the stage. All eyes would be on her in a few moments- there would be a few passing glances at this very moment. Never had she dreamed that the whole of District 11 would be watching her, eager to hear what she had to say. She had not been raised to speek so openly about such things but that had never stopped her before.

As the crowd applauded as her name was announced, Maia smiled warmly towards the crowd as she climbed the stairs. She hoped that the smile would elicit some sort of reaction subconciously inside the people of District 11. A smile was warm, homely and a person who smiled was often considered trustworthy- even if they were not so trustworthy at all. Taking to the podium, Maia Dalton adjusted the microphone slightly- bringing it to the correct height for her tall and slender frame- before she cleared her throat.

"Good Afternoon District 11" she began, smiling warmly at the hundreds of faces in the crowd. "I thank you, for taking your time out of your day to listen to myself and the other candidates discuss with you, what we wish to promote to ensure- what I see to be- our Districts prosperous future. Yes, that is correct. Prosperous."

She allowed her gaze to sweep over the crowd.

"We have always been a close people. We are like a family, we may all look differet- your brother beside you may have light or dark skin. We may all be of different background- your sister stood beside you may be rich and you may be poor, but these difference...in my eyes, they do not sperate us as you may think. For, have we not stood together in times of great hardship, were we not there for one another during the drought? Were we not there for one another for the years where our tributes came home- but only in wooden boxes? The answer, to these questions my friends is...we were.

We have always been a prideful people, we have always been there for one another and I do not think that should change when someone take the office. Why should the man in the office think he or she is no longer part of that family? The man in the office- if anything- should fight for his families right to a warm meal. For his families right to equal pay? For his families right to remain safe at work during the long summers that plague our Districts?! Of course he should! And he should fight for more than this!

He should fight more than just the visible problems in our District- he shoud fight for the better health of his brothers and sisters. He should fight for the children- our future- to remain in a full day of school, with their bellies full. He should fight for his daughters who have their innocence taken too soon because they find themselves with child at 16- 17! Because they did not learn in school how to prevent such things before they were ready.

As a girl, I was one of these children. My parents were poor, they came from little money yet they worked tirelessly to feed me and my siblings. When we were old enough, we worked in the feilds during the afternoons and during the weekends when we should have been having a childhood. When I was 17, my parents arranged for me to marry my husband and then 9 months later, I was expecting my first son; while I am greatful for my life and I would not change it for the world, I would never in my dreams wish it on another child.

The man- I spoke of earlier- who takes the office to stop these things from happening, from weakening our family through disease, poverty, malnutrition and child labour. That man is me. I promise you all these things and more, if you entrust me in looking after our family of District 11!"