Errorizer

Going commando I see

To expand a little, this is a common scenario (I have worked with street kids in India, I would imagine it works the same way in Ethiopia):

Parents or some kind of "guardian" buys products in bulk, usually of very low quality that costs almost nothing to produce. Pendants, rings, necklaces, figurines, small boxes etc.

They then either dress them up in very cute clothes (in India the small girls wear sarees and jewlery and have makeup on) or rags and smear dirt in their faces etc.

The kids then walk around all day long and try to find people to sell to. Usually by knocking on car windows if you're in a car, pulling at your clothes, trying to touch you and following you around while saying "please sir, please sir, please sir". The stuff they sell is completely worthless and no one actually wants it, but because people feel bad for the kids and take pity in them (hence pity trade) they usually buy something. Sometimes because they actually care, but most often because it's a very uncomfortable scenario to be in and they just want the kids to go away.

Kids then return home and give their earnings to their parents or the person who takes care of them, (in India orphans are usually abused and exploited by these "guardians") and go on to do the same the next day.

Most people around the world speak english, at least to some degree. If you go to a bar in a major city around midnight anywhere in the world you're bound to meet someone who you can strike a conversation with.

Read the AMA, all of it.

Three of my best friends were born and raised in China in respectively high, middle and lower class families. I've been there visiting several times. Life in China is definitely much harder than in America, but what OP describes goes far beyond anything I've heard about (regarding children and young adults).

Also read these two quotes from OP: "he was punished by him planking in pushup position and putting his feet on the guardrails on one of the beds. When he couldn't hold it up, some of the other students had to put his feet back up. Eventually we just tied his feet to the rails with a belt lol." "I behaved generally really well. I became the class monitor (Ban zhang in Chinese) around the 2 month mark, which entailed leading the team in activities and ordering the team around when it came to cleaning our dorms or the mess hall. I could also punish students with exercises if they didn't comply."

This is messed up bad.

Regarding the second part of your question I would say that Norway is almost without doubt the best country to raise a family in, given that:

• You have a job (get a job before you move! So many people come to Norway, thinking they'll just sign up somewhere when they arrive, and then get screwed over royally)

• You can handle the weather