A table of birthday party food for celebrating in Children's…
This scene of a table laid out for a children's party reminds me of the birthday teas my mum made, with love, for my childhood birthdays. The story I've picked to accompany the picture is about a woman from Cape Verde, who has learnt to be, not just loving mother, but also a business woman who can care for her children independently.
- Lisa
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A table of birthday party food for celebrating in Children's Village São Domingos, Cape Verde.
This scene of a table laid out for a children's party reminds me of the birthday teas my mum made, with love, for my childhood birthdays. The story I've picked to accompany the picture is about a woman from Cape Verde, who has learnt to be, not just loving mother, but also a business woman who can care for her children independently.
This is the story of 34-year-old Linete who is a mother of three. Her family lives in Assomada, in a small house lent to them by another Cape Verdean family who live out of the country. Linette was finding it hard to cope being a single mother to her twelve and five-year-old girls and eleven-year-old boy.
However, since she received family support from the SOS support programme, Linete is now her own boss and has regained confidence as a mother.
Before the support, Linete didn't have a job. She helped her old aunt, selling vegetables and received a tiny pay packet that could provide a little bit of food for her and her children. However, it was definitely not enough to raise her three children, especially when the father of the children offered no support.
Now Linete sells fruits and vegetables at the local market. She received a zero interest loan from the family support programme to start her business, this was to buy the first produce she was going to sell. The profit goes back into the buisness with enough left over for her to feed and cloth her childrena nd keep them warm.
"I really earn much more money than I ever earned in the past, and I am now able to buy food in bulk for my family, which is much cheaper!", explains Linete. "Once, I buy a 25 kg bag of rice, a crate of oil bottles...another time I buy a big bag of sugar. And like this, I manage to make our own stock and our family is no longer missing anything at home".
Linete starts her day at seven. She prepares breakfast for her children who go to school at eight o'clock. Then, she goes to the market to sell and comes back only in the late afternoon. Sometimes, she eats lunch in the market; sometimes, she waits to go home to eat. Back home, it's time to cook dinner and make sure the children did their homework. Then she goes to bed.
Linete's three children are part of the first set of children to receive support from the family support programme of Assomada.
- Mary
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A string of coloured flags in the sun at Children's Village Tianjin, China.
I picked this story of a young man in China to go with the lovely pastel flags against the bright blue sky of China.
It is Saturday and 22 young men, in there late teens are relaxing after working hard during the week. Some sit in front of the television and watch a basketball match, others need to do some homework and seek the peace and quiet of their shared rooms. These young men are living together as they are either at college or training for a profession, so in many ways they are like any other students, but the difference is that they grew up a few minutes drive away, in the SOS Children's Village Tianjin.
19-year-old Luo will graduate in two years time, with qualifications in maths.
Last summer he had a part-time job as a waiter in a restaurant during his summer holidays. This winter he has had no time for earning money as he has put all his time and energy into his studies. Luo was six years old when he moved to SOS Children's Village Tianjin. After loosing his parents, he had stayed with his uncle and aunt for a year and then moved to his new home in the village. He still visits his relatives during holiday time and for the big spring festival. When he was younger, he did not like others to know about his SOS Children's Village background and that he was an orphan. Later he came to realize how lucky he was to have so many brothers and sisters.
"I have never felt lonely here. When I was having a problem with my homework I could always ask someone," he says.
Another thing he has learnt from living in a large family is the ability to pass on knowledge to younger ones; like, for example, how to play basketball or hold a calligraphy brush steady.
When school is over at 4pm he normally goes to play either football or basketball. Sometimes he likes to go home early and spend some time on the Internet before he practices his calligraphy.
In general life here suits him. Luo appreciates the chance to learn how to manage your own time and be more responsible.
"In the village everything is arranged for you and your mother buys your clothes. Here I buy it myself."
Then his mobile starts to ring. It's a friend who wants to come by later. "Everyone has a mobile these days".
The boys split bill for their home using money earned from summer jobs or savings.
Luo plans to stay here until he has completed his studies. But then what? The answer is not far away: "I want to have my own family and do something for society - have a steady life," he says.
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