Sharing the load with Fatema
Fourteen-year-old Fatema Ali Abdullah Bazaa, is from Sana’a in Yemen. She lives with her mother and seven siblings. Her father died from kidney failure four years ago.
The family live in a rented two-room house; using the rooms both as living and sleeping space. The house is very old and needs severely renovating. The ceiling leaks when it rains and there is no running water. The family has to share their neighbour’s electricity.
“I find it very difficult to cover the rent payment and during the winter the house becomes very cold and all of the members of the family have to wear sweaters and jackets to sleep as we don’t have enough blankets,” said Fatema’s mother.
After the death of Fatema’s father, the eldest girl Amna went to work at a local clinic. She was the main breadwinner for over a year, paying the rent and most of the household expenses, but she lost her job last year. Fatema’s brother Mohamed, a soldier, is now responsible for the rent and household expenses. He also pays fees for Amna, who is studying to be a nurse. The family struggle to get by on his small salary.
Both Fatema and her brother are now sponsored by an IR donor. “I feel that someone is carrying the load with us,” says Fatema’s mother.