Kechene Interviews

Even though I am leaving soon, our work here is not done! Recently, another volunteer and I interviewed some women in the Kechene community that are hoping to send their children to school next year. Even though the interviews are to help the school find donors, they were really powerful, so I wanted to write about them here. I don’t think I will ever forget interviewing these women. We walked about 30 minutes up a mountain, through an incredibly poor community, and were welcomed into their homes. 

The first woman, Tigist, has two children, only one of which she can afford to send to school. Her husband died of HIV four years ago, which makes me worried that her and her children may have it as well. Tigist carries firewood at least five kilometers per day to sell in the local market. Her back is always hurting and she has twisted her ankle many times from falling in the mud. If Tigist is lucky, she makes almost a dollar a day. Her children eat two meals a day of corn and rice, which lacks substantial nutritional value, and she told us that her children cry every time they eat. Tigist was never able to attend school, and she doesn’t know how to read.

The second woman, Meseret, also has two children, neither of whom is in school. Meseret spins wool into string for weaving and her husband works in construction. Together they make about $.70 a day. Both Meseret and her husband started secondary school when they were younger, but had to stop because they didn’t have enough money to cover their basic needs. Mesert still hopes to get a high school diploma one day, so she can provide a better life for herself and her family.

The third woman, Meselech, moved to Addis Ababa from the countryside when she was 14 years old, because both of her parents died. She wanted to continue her education, but couldn’t afford to because she had to pay rent. She dropped out of school, got married, and started carrying firewood for a living. She has three children, and only one is able to attend school due to the cost of school supplies. Her mission is for all three of her children to graduate high school so they “can become competent citizens of their country.”

All of these women were absolutely beautiful both inside and out. All they want is for their children to attend school so they can have better lives. They work so hard and they are so selfless. Even though they have almost no material possessions, they are among the most dignified people I have ever met.