Widie Mossie is twelve years old but looks barely half, not very tall for his age is rather small, although the dress lets you see wearing a belly swollen too, perhaps because of malnutrition or a serious illness that recently caused her to bed, but which fails to explain the symptoms. We met one of the rooms used for Sheltering project implemented by the CVM to Tilili, nell'Awi, one of the areas of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The program involves a group of children orphaned or who previously lived in the street, however, in unspeakable conditions and for three months children, whose maximum age is 14 years, live together in a facility made available by the NGO, with a person who is responsible for preparing food and to meet their basic needs. Meanwhile, following a course on HIV and other important issues are reintegrated to school if they had stopped studying, but also psychological support. While the kids live together and receive an education, the NGO works to reunite with their families, parents, if alive, or other relatives who wish occupare di loro, spesso aiutandoli con una piccola IGA (Income generating activity, cioè attività generatrice di reddito), affinché siano in grado di prendersi effettivamente cura di quelle creature.
Widie Mossie non viveva in strada, come molti dei compagni con cui condivide ora le sue giornate, era ospite a casa della zia, una donna anziana e povera per la quale non era semplice occuparsi di lei. Non ha mai conosciuto sua madre, la zia le ha raccontato che dopo aver partorito se n’è andata senza far più avere sue notizie e lei non ha chiesto ad altri informazioni, nemmeno al padre per paura. Quest’ultimo fino a qualche anno fa viveva con la figlia, ma da un po’ sembra non riesca a mettere insieme i soldi sufficient for their survival and often travels to distant cities in search of lucrative jobs. During these trips, sometimes very long, never brings with it the girl, leaving her with relatives or by those who can keep her as a maid. Widie also had two brothers, one died a few months before our meeting and the other has not heard from him again: "I do not know what happened - says uncertain - I know that a dog bit my brother, the largest, but I do not know if this was the cause of his death. The other now do not know where. "
you still have not lived with them for a long, up to three years ago she was alone with her father: "We a small tukul (the traditional dress that is found mainly in rural areas), I was on the work at home how to cook and clean, while my father was selling and splitting the wood. We also had a small ground rent. " At that time, the age Widie had to go to school but had not been included: "My father had sent me there - precisely without controversy or bitterness - but even I was willing to take lessons, even though he me would permit it, I had too much to do at home, I had no time for study. " According to the little girl says, to complicate their lives, already in a precarious balance, there were conditions poor when their home was reduced, all very old and broken. "So my father decided that there had to go - go with a serious face -. He told me he would be away for a few months to work and earn money to build a new home. " So the man left Widie from a family that she did not know, with the promise that he would return before long to take it. Those words had reassured the girl, who at first did not suffer particularly for the kind of neglect and tried to best adapt to the new situation. Its task, in the new house was to take care of his newborn son of the owners: despite his skinny frame, he spent le giornate con quel fagottino legato sulla schiena, come le donne etiopi portano di solito i figli. “Oltre a guardare il bambino dovevo anche procurare l’acqua alla famiglia andandola a prendere al fiume”. Ovviamente non era previsto che andasse a scuola. In cambio dei lavori che svolgeva, c’erano cibo e un posto per dormire, ma nessun salario: “Il cibo per me bastava – dice con un filo di voce e lo sguardo intimorito – e mi diedero anche un vestito. I datori di lavoro non erano cattivi e all’inizio non avevo problemi, ero tranquilla perché sapevo che mio padre sarebbe tornato a breve e avremmo costruito una nuova casa”. Quella promessa però si rivelò una bugia, facendo soffrire enormemente little, as she admits with a look of deep sadness. In time, the tasks, which at first held without much difficulty, became heavy, almost unbearable: "I was tired of always having to keep the baby on her back, felt a sharp pain," because the baby was growing and eventually reached the age of one year. It had to spend about twelve months before the rifacesse live with her father and when he did was to bring in their new home, but some relatives where they remained together for about a week. This was not, in fact, their final settlement, in truth their own place to live was not there yet. Il padre era di nuovo in partenza e lei si sarebbe trasferita da altri parenti, dalla zia con la quale ha vissuto fino a qualche mese prima di entrare nell’alloggio del CVM: “Mia cugina mi venne a prendere e mi portò a casa di mia zia. Io volevo vivere con mio padre, con lui sto bene anche se mi picchia quando faccio qualcosa di sbagliato. Ma è un buon padre, purtroppo però è molto povero – spiega con tanta rassegnazione, che stona su un volto così giovane -. Andai a vivere da mia zia perché lui doveva spostarsi in un’altra città lontana dove poteva trovare qualche lavoro giornaliero”. Così Widie si trasferì di nuovo in una casa che non era la sua, ancora senza il padre col quale desidera tanto live and which now meets "only sometimes". Even that arrangement, however, was precarious, given the economic conditions of the woman who housed it. Widie's aunt is divorced, has five daughters of which only two, now older, living with her, you keep alcohol at home preparing and selling in the markets, but the gains are meager. The granddaughter he never asked to work to raise money, but simply to help out at home and collect firewood for the family's needs. With her is not abrupt and Widie is good, even with the cousins, especially with the female has a good relationship and feel accepted, "They are like brothers to me - says, smiling, opening her large eyes -, my cousin when he bought the shares something with me forever. " Although we do not feel a stranger, there also had to deal with poverty: "The food was enough only for breakfast and dinner, but we had for lunch," says looking down. Given the situation was obvious that her education had to wait again, it was unimaginable that he could go to school because food was not even a simple thing you can always: "There was no money for me to study. Not enough even for the education of children of my aunt, only one of them actually went to school and the other had been put to work soon, irons their clothes to earn money, "admits shameful.
She was about a year and six months from their host, then came to know of the projects initiated by the Office of CVM Injibara, Tilili not far from where he lived with his aunt was a friend of his cousin who works at 'hospital to talk to him and so he came forward, was selected and is now living with other kids like her luck. This project, what we value most is certainly the possibility of having all the meals he needs: "We eat regularly - admits to some satisfaction, however, masked by a great timidity - before the food is never enough. Now I also have clothes, before I had only one. I can also wash, while Before coming here I could get me a shower only once a month. Also, I can go to school. " This year, Widie has finally begun to study and it is something that is sincerely grateful to the CVM. Also living with the other kids she likes with them, says there is a good relationship, even though he admits he prefers to be with the other female of the group and a bit 'less with the boys.
Unfortunately, even there, where it seemed to have found a little 'peace, it faced a new problem: the disease that caused her to bed for over two weeks. Unfortunately, he said, needed a hospital, but apparently, the woreda (administrative unit territorial) which cooperates with the CVM and should cover medical expenses for children of the project, could not pay too expensive and she was able to address only the outpatient center. Now, states seriously, "is better, but what has suffered is a mystery.
Camilla Corradini (CVM Volunteer in Ethiopia)
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