SOS-mother at the door step with dishes in her hand…

SOS-mother at the door step with dishes in her hand - CV Conakry, Guinea (Conakry).

Too many children are deprived of a regular childhood in developing countries. But thanks to the family strengthening programme in Kankan, in Guinea, little nine-year-old Omar has now discovered what being a child means...

How my life changed

My name is Omar. I'm nine years old. I live in a small village not far from Kankan. My father is disabled. He's been blind for the past 15 years, he once told me.

Before our family got help from the family strengthening programme, my mother used to carry my little baby sister on her back from door to door in the surrounding area, to find any type of job that would give her some food to bring back home at night. While she was out in the daytime, I used to go with my father bare-foot in various places of the city [Kankan] to beg. But one day, my mother and my sister were caught under a very heavy rain. My little sister fell very sick and died a few days later because we could not afford to give her medical care. I was sad. And so were my parents.

Since early 2008, we have been supported by the family strengthening programme*. Our situation has drastically changed. My father is still blind, but now I go to school. I have a nice uniform and wear shoes. My mother is no longer going out from door to door to look for any chores to do. Instead, she got supported to open her own little business in front of our house. She even followed some classes to do it well [the programme provided a business management training to all the caregivers on the programme]. Now we get food to eat every day! Having her shop in front of the house is also good because she can look after my father, while I get to learn and play with my friends!

*The family strengthening programme in Kankan is run by SOS Children's Village Kankan and a local NGO called "Jeunesse Action Développement". It started early 2008 and by the end of 2008 helped 352 children from 72 families.