No Shoes for School
Story by Kassaye Aklilu, World Vision Ethiopia

Eight-year-old Audgna lives in the rural area of Nedjo, some 500 kilometres west of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, with his mother and two sisters.

When he was two years old, Audgna’s father divorced his mother, disappeared, and left the family to fend for themselves. Ever since then, Audgna’s mother has to shoulder the burden of feeding the family through her work as a labourer, earning 150 birr (about S$22) a month. Life is extremely hard with the scanty income.

“My sisters and I go to school barefooted,” says Audgna. “The shirt I’m wearing is the only one I own, and it is torn and tattered.”

The family suffers from malaria and other waterborne diseases. There are many days when they are sick but unable to seek medical treatment because they cannot afford it.

“The house we live in is poorly constructed and uncomfortable to live in,” says Audgna. “The walls are poorly plastered with mud and do not shelter us from the sun or the cold. The roof leaks when it rains. The floor of the house is not cemented and uneven. The house doesn’t have good doors.” The area they live in is not safe either.

There is also no electricity in their house so the family makes do with a kerosene lamp. When Adugna does his studying and homework, he uses a kerosene lamp even though it is very uncomfortable for him as the smoke gets into his eyes and nose.

Despite their challenges, Adugna and his two sisters have managed to remain in school.

No more despair

Things began to change for the better when World Vision came into Adugna’s community and they began receiving help through child sponsorship.

“World Vision has provided us with things like writing materials for school and medication whenever I am sick since I became a sponsored child.”

A typical day

Every morning, Audgna wakes up and walks to the nearby river with a three-litre jug to fetch water. When he returns home with the water, he washes his face and hands, takes his breakfast and heads off to school with his sisters.

He is an active learner and no longer has to miss classes because of falling sick. “I like all subjects. I eagerly participate in the classroom. I do class work on time. Environmental science is my favourite subject,” Adugna shares.

During his recess break, Adugna plays football or hide and seek with his school mates. After school, Adugna heads home for lunch and helps by fetching more water, feeding the chickens that are given by World Vision and goes to his neighbour’s farm to help tend their cattle.

“As a cattle herdsman, I take the cattle to a river so they can drink water, lead them to a good pasture for food, remove dirt on their bodies and take them to a shady area when the sun is too strong before driving them home to the owner in the evening. Upon their return, my neighbour will take stock. When he is done, I go home,” Adugna says.

For that, Adugna earns ten Birr (about S$1.50) a month, which he gives to his mother to supplement the family’s income.

World Vision has also recently provided his family with a fuel saving stove so they can be more efficient with their use of energy. “I am grateful to World Vision. God bless them.”

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Child Sponsorship can help children like Adugna receive the basics of life such as nutritious food, clean water, healthcare, education and economic opportunities through sustainable community development. Click here to sponsor a child now.