BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Her face was always filled with a smile, a smile that covers her misery, and unhappiness; and let her appear as if a blissful woman. Everyone who watched her thought that she was happy. Little did the people around her know; that it was a cover up smile trying to hide her tough days and the struggle in life.
The struggle of the girl, who lost her mother the next day she was baptized, started since she turned to five. Abiyot Sahle, was born in Chancho Town in Oromia State. Due to the unfortunate incident she faced with, her childhood was not stable that she had to go various places.
On a day she went out to play with her peers, Abiyot accidentally fell down on an area where the villagers used to dispose household wastes. For the reason she couldn’t help herself up, she had to sleep for long on the slime. When the residents finally reached out for her, she could not get up like she used to. So, they took her to her family.
Thinking that the problem might be related to evil spirits, her families took her to church to sprinkle holy water. Similarly, they also tried to get her to various hospitals though all was in vain. That unfortunate incident did not only forbid her to play like her peers, it has also made her to stay at home permanently. Abiyot had no chance but to accept her disability at that age. Thus, while her peers went to school, she compelled to spend her years crawling like a baby in her house.
Abiyot somehow managed to come to Addis Ababa and was able to visit Cheshire Ethiopia, an institution that provides essential follow up care and walking aids such as crutches, braces, orthopedic shoes and walking frames for disabled children and young people. After spending few years there, she slowly began to use wheelchair then ankle brace and finally started walking using crutches.
Once she completed her treatment at Cheshire Services, she returned to her families in her home town. However, joining her families was not something she could cherish as she was not able to go outside or lead a different life. She became unhappy until she was able to return to the capital to follow up her medical treatment.
She went straight to her sister who was residing in Rebu Gebeya (Wednesday market) a small village which has a school, after her treatment. As it was her childhood desire, Abiyot begged her father and sister to enroll her in school though both could not agree with the idea. Unsatisfied with their response, she started figuring out some way.
The blessing of a cent
Abiyot always gets a head of her families. She enjoys disproving their thoughts by doing what they assumed that she could not do. By learning braiding hair, she started making money. She used to receiving a fee of one birr for braiding. It is with the money she saved up that she was able to purchase exercise book, pen and other school materials for herself.
The school she enrolled was near to the place her cousin rented and where she started to live with. At that time, she was able to complete her grade one education by supporting herself. Unfortunately, as she started quarrelling with her cousin and they got in to bad term, she had to return to her sister’s house and spent the summer time with her.
She has never given up through challenges and tends to focus on finding solutions. As her uncle moved to the small city, she was able to finish until grade five living with him. Learning was everything where she could escape, that made her visible and it was something that gave her relief. Though her uncle was a fine man, he was not willing to give her a helping hand when he raised his five children well. The only thing she could get was her meals and the shelter, and was supposed to fulfill for her needs with the one cent she make by braiding hair.
Deep desire to be healed
It was after the first semester concluded that she left her uncle’s house due to the deep desire she developed frequently listening to the neighbor that talked about ‘Entoto Mariyam Holy Water’. She could not resist any longer that she decided to go there and to be healed. Then, she asked her father to take her to the place.
Though he was hesitant at the first the fact that she mentioned that her mother would have done it if she was alive, he was touched by her and agreed. Once she finalized her exam, she went with her sister and cousin to the holy place. Both left the place one by one until she was left alone. She stayed there for six months with the money they sent for her. When her uncle told her that they couldn’t help her any more, she returned and completed her fifth grade.
However, this time she made up her mind that she needed to live on her own. She returned to Addis Ababa but the challenges she encountered following her decision, allowed her to meet humble, genuine and greedy people along the way.
Throughout this, she was deeply saddened by the fact that no one from her family tried to search for her. That led her to idea of switching her name to Hana as a means not to be identified by her families, if they were to search for her. Though it was just a feeling that occupied her mind while when she was feeling angry.
Life became tougher as she continued to live by herself and decided to work as a maid for others. The place she was hired as a maid did not consider her disability rather they forced her to do much house chores and babysitting. Despite the fact that she was unhappy, as well as they denied her getting several training opportunities, she had no choice but stayed there for five years.
New hope, new job
Abiyot was able to get training on production of products from leather with her friends. They were also able to be organized in small and medium enterprises. So, they were given startup capital/loan from the government. However, her employers nagged her to give them the money she borrowed. So, she decided to leave the house.
Soon after she left the house, she and her friends started their own business with the training they acquired. They are working in an area known as Sanford School. Though the transportation is not convenient for her, she took a taxi or a bus to get there.
“Disability is not inability but the important thing is accepting the fact,” she said. They need to get rid of the dependent mentality. Though being disable and woman is a double burden on many situations, she is hopeful and aspiring to go after her dreams despite the challenges.
She is now earning 50 Birr or monthly 1200 Birr which is not quite enough to live decent life. Despite this entire journey, she is still the woman who puts on her artificial smile just like she did when she was a small girl not to give up. Helping those who are struggling would change the lives of many people.
The Ethiopian Herald May 11/2023
