“When I grow up….”

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– Feb 06, 2012

Posted by
Michelle MacInnes-Rae

Last week I visited a family of four growing boys living in Areda, a sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The eldest has just been accepted to medical school with plans of becoming a doctor. Two are enrolled in vocational training courses, and the youngest is in high school. "I want to be an engineer", he says in a very matter-of-fact tone. But this is all very different to how their life used to be. Because a few years ago they lost both of their parents to HIV/AIDS. Unable to withstand the pressure and responsibility of running a household on their own, the boys separated and took up residence with various other family members, scattered around town. In and out of school, the boys took on odd jobs - washing cars or carrying goods for example - to generate what little income they could to cover the costs of their most basic needs. It was a long, long way from medical school.

Addis Ababa is a vibrant and bustling city - I think it could give New York a run for its money as the city that never sleeps - but as a child living without parents in the poorest neighbourhoods (kebeles) of the city, it can be extremely dangerous. Over 50,000 children are living on the streets in Addis Ababa alone, one quarter of the national estimate for streetchildren.

Since joining the War Child program, the boys have received support for their housing, medical costs and school and vocational training fees. This allows them to focus on their studies with the intention of securing a steady income upon graduation. They participate in individual and family counselling sessions, and organized recreational activities on weekends. Children in their position are frequently victims of discrimination so the organized football games for example, are a chance for them to interact with other children from their communities with no pressure.

One of the boys, currently in vocational training for hairdressing speaks up: “Since joining this program, what I am most grateful for is that we are now living together again. Before we were separated, living in different districts even, we hardly saw each other. Now we live in the same house, we eat together and share responsibilities. I am very thankful for this.”

Suddenly, the youngest brother’s ambitions of becoming an engineer doesn’t seem so far away.

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Categories: From The Field, Poverty Reduction,
Tags: doctor, engineering, ethiopia, hivaids, medical, street children, training,

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