I Zambia er der overflod af babyer, den lille skrigeunge bliver ikke set på som nogen særlig unik størrelse. Derimod hvis skrigeungen kæmper sig vej op gennem de voksnes rækker og får sig et gøremål i livet, vindes omgivelsernes værdsættelse. Jo flere grå hår der titter frem i hovedbunden, jo flere folk vil knæle for dine fødder i en respektfuld hilsen.
Faith er 5 år gammel og blandt flokken af unger som overeuforiske kommer springende hvinende ud på gaden, når jeg passerer på min cykel: ”Nannaaaahh!” bliver der råbt og jeg kan ikke lade være med at glædes over udviklingen i tiltale fra ”Mzunguuuu” til ”Nannaaahh!”. Hun tager et fast greb i min hånd, og sprinter så hurtigt hendes små ben kan holde til ved siden af min cykel. Hendes korte sorte fletninger hopper op og ned på hovedet, mens hun begejstret ler og ser op på mig med et par funklende mørke øjne.
På trods af Faiths unge alder hersker der ingen tvivl om, at hun er udmærket klar over at her cykler et menneske fra en helt anden verden. Fra en paradisisk verden som alle omkring hende ser op til helt uden at kende den. Når jeg ser ned på hende lyser de nysgerrige øjne langt væk af et stort potentiale for at udvikle sig, erfare og lære.
Om Faith får muligheden for at indfri sit store potentiale udvikling er dog usikkert i Zambia, hvor hun er blandt de 47% af befolkningen på 12 millioner, som er under 15 år. Er hun blandt de heldige børn, som har forældre der kan finansiere skoleuniform, notesbøger og penne, er det stadig uvist om forældrene har arbejde de næste 12 år og kan skaffe midler til, at Faith fuldfører hele sin skolegang. Mange unge er henstillet til at droppe skolen i perioder eller helt allerede fra 8. klasse, hvor egenbetalingen stiger. 20% af befolkningen opnår at færdiggøre gymnasiet. Det er et stort privilegium at gå i skole, for muligheden for at lære og udvikle sig er helt essentielt for, at du senere har mulighed for at arbejde, tjene penge, frigøre dig fra den fattigdom mange havner i.
Fælles for alle de kvinder jeg arbejder med til hverdag i Kwenuha Women’s Association, er at de ikke fik mulighed for at færdiggøre deres skolegang. Mange af dem blev gravide i tidlig alder og havde lige pludselig et barn at tage sig af, mad der måtte skaffes næste dag og ingen finansiel støtte fra hverken en mand eller familie.
I de sidste par uger har jeg i forbindelse med en opgave om brug af idræt som redskab til fattigdomsbekæmpelse interviewet tre af de kvinder, jeg er kommet tættest på hernede. Fælles for de tre er, at de alle har været prostituerede, de er i dag sidst i tyverne, er HIV positive, alle er de mødre til et barn på omkring 10 år, og de er aktive i sportsprogrammet som sports captains, hvor de er ansvarlige for at lede en klub, møde op til træning og sørge for at bringe information fra kontoret videre til medlemmerne. Derudover har de alle gennemlevet en kamp om at ændre identitet fra at være ”nobody” til at blive ”somebody”.
Hermed følger udklip fra de enkelte interviews jeg havde med kvinderne. Jeg håber det vil skabe et lille indblik i deres liv og skæbner (navne er opdigtede):
Introduktion:
Jeg møder Veronica hjemme ved hende selv, hvor hun sidder på verandaen udenfor det lille brungrå stenhus med bliktag. Hun snitter hvidkål og forbereder N’shima over kul. Jeg har fået en kvinde i nabolaget til at følge mig hele vejen til huset, og hun falder straks i snak med Veronica på det lokale sprog Nyanga. Jeg påpeger for Veronica, at de nu helt sikkert bagtaler ”Mzunguen” og hun ser på mig med glade øjne og sit frække smil og oversætter hurtigt, hvad de talte om. Veronica er ikke nogen ren skønhed, men hun har en ufattelig karisma, en skarp tunge og en intelligens, som uvilkårligt vinder folks respekt.
Da naboen går, starter vi interviewet.
Jennifer møder jeg uden for hendes hjem, hvor hun bor med sin mor og søn. Hun er lige kommet fra sykursus, som hun tager igennem uddannelsesprogrammet i Kwenuha Women’s Association. Jennifer er en lille tynd kvinde med et åbent ansigt. Hun møder mig med et stort smil og et par lidt generte øjne. Hun har stillet to skamler parat i skyggen under træet, hvorfra vi starter interviewet.
Liana kommer ud til jordvejen med sin baby hængende på ryggen og viser mig vej igennem et par grunde med små blandede sten- og jordhuse, før vi når frem til hendes lille firkantede hus. Jeg hilser på hendes datter der leger med et par venner udenfor, hvorefter Liana viser mig indenfor og vi sætter os på de to stole der står langs væggen i det lille rum, som udgør huset. Jeg ser mig rundt og synes faktisk det er hyggeligt på trods af musen der hurtigt iler op langs væggen og gemmer sig i renden mellem væggen og bliktaget. Sengen fylder halvdelen af rummet, som både fungerer som soveværelse, køkken og dagligstue. Liana er en flot majestætisk udseende kvinde, der med et lettere fremskudt kæbeparti og et par tænksomme øjne både kan se stærk og sårbar ud på en gang. Hendes baby tier stille så snart brystet bliver trukket frem og interviewet kan herefter starte.
Please describe the word poverty ?
Liana: “Not being able to look after yourself /feed yourself”
Jennifer: “Someone who cannot manage to take care of herself”
Veronica: “Being unable to meet the necessities of life on a day to day basis.
“ What is the necessities of life?
“3 meals a day”, “Go to school”, “Go to the clinic to receive medical expenses”
Would you describe yourself as poor?
Liana: “No not today, before I was poor”
Jennifer: “Not very much, Nanna! At least I have food on the table” Before? “Yes I was poor, that’s why I was a commercial sexworker”
Veronica: “Yes, I am unable to do most of the things on my own, I have a child who goes to school but I am unable to pay for him. I need the help from the organization”
Has your life changed since you became a member of KWA? If yes, how?
Liana: “Yes it has changed, the sports activities, survival skills, and the knowledge has helped me, under survival skills even if I am not working I still know how to bake if somebody gives me flour.” “I have gained knowledge through the sports program, today I know what it is to be a sport leader and I have certificates from coaching.” “Being a sportscaptain has helped me on how to work with people and children” and “also how to use the skills that I was being taught”… “Today I have stopped from going to the bars. I am spending time with my daughters and mother, and even my mother says I have changed!”
Veronica: “Kwenuha has helped me. They help to pay my child’s school fees. I get an allowance in some of the programs where I am involved, which helps me in my day to day life”… “Today people in my community look at how I live a responsible and disciplined life. This has been possible through my participation in sport. I have learned to be disciplined through sport”
How did you live before? “ My responsibility was based a lot to my own self, I did not have the impact on other people before I was active in the sports program of KWA”.
Jennifer: “My life has changed, I don’t even wish to go back to the streets and I don’t want to go back. Kwenuha has done a lot for me.“ … “For now I can’t go out on the street because I am always busy at the ground. “… “Today I am somebody because of survival skills, and I am a busy person”
What has made you become somebody? “I am not in the streets anymore, I am at home enjoying myself, I am having fun and chatting with my friends. I don’t even think of going to the streets.”
What has been the biggest challenge in the transformation process?
Jennifer: “Lack of money – because it was too little with the money from Kwenuha”
How did you deal with the lack of money in the transformation process? “I had to change Nanna! I decided to change, because I knew I was not gaining anything from the street. So I had to change.”
What made you take that decision? “My friend introduced me to this organization. She told me about it when we met in the street. So I decided I have got a son I should take care of and my mother is getting old, so I won’t manage going in the street. So I decided just to stop even if I don’t have money, it’s my life. Especially when I was found HIV positive.”
Has sport helped you to transform? “Very much, for now I can’t go out on the street because I am always busy at the ground and I don’t think of going back. “
Liana: “Sports came after I joined KWA, it was very boring in the beginning because we were just sitting there not doing anything. Some were even talking about going back to the streets. But when sports came we at least started to do something.” … “No money and no business are challenges”
Veronica: “Not being able to meet your day to day need” “today I have stopped what I am doing, but then I look at the table and there is no food, then you are likely to go back” “the key to transformation is empowerment”
Do you think the programs in KWA can help you out of poverty in future? “If they empower the members with loans to set up their own ideas and help them in day to day life, it is better than just getting a bag of mealiemeal once in a while, when you need more than a bag a mealiemeal to survive.” “But it’s good that they go out to bars and recruit people, they inform them that they are doing the wrong thing”, “If people hear they can be supported they can really stop, it is better to be helped than risk your life!”
Do you think the program of sport empowers people? “It is good to focus on something else than the bars and nightlife” and “A sport person is disciplined”… ”Sport empowers through the easy feeling of drift of the members who participate”… “You might think: “Today I don’t have food”, and then you go back, but think what might come out of that, just for you to want to get food for a day. See what it might cost you in the end, it might cost you life. So It is better to say I will starve for today and live for the better in future.” “That’s the discipline?” “YES”!
Can you explain how and when you were tested positive first time?
Jennifer: “2 years ago I was tested positive. I decided to go and test for myself, it was my own decision!”
Veronica: “ In June 2008 I went for VCT through Kwenuha. It was during the sport program. We were told that it was important to know our status” “I went back in September 2008 and was tested positive”
Liana: “I first went to VCT at Busiko when we were training. It was Funday, so the office told the participants to go there and get tested. By that time there were Christine and she told us, be free and go to test yourself. Then I went there and got tested. I was positive. It was 2007. Then they told me that you come on Wednesday to go for CD4 count. Then I went and told Mr Mwandi in KWA office but he told me I was cheating, and I didn’t follow up for anything. But they told me that you should tell someone about your status but I didn’t tell anyone. Then later on in 2009 they came and asked about our status from Kwenuha. And I told them openly about my status. But the office didn’t believe they wanted to see my papers. Then later on I went with those papers to Mr. Mwandi and that was when I came under HBC (home based care)…. At first I felt stigmatized , because some other one under HBC did not have to show their papers. So I was stigmatized. They did not believe me when I told them I was positive.”
What made you start the ARV treatment?
Jennifer: “I was always sick” “every now and then I was sick”
Liana: “When I got pregnant in 2008 I went to get my Cd4 count. It was high then, but since I was pregnant I was under prevention mother to child program, and they prescribed some medicine for me”
Have the program of KWA helped you to accept your status?
Jennifer: “Yes I have really accepted my status. They are really supportive. In sports , I am always involved and for HBC, I am given Mealiemeal.”
Veronica: “It is hard to be open inside the club”, “Discrimination happens among the members inside the club”, “The own Kwenuha members are discriminating and stigmatizing”. “However, sport in KWA creates a platform to come and share information about HIV and AIDS” “The people come in the name of sport and they have fun, they wouldn’t show up if it was only about HIV and AIDS”
Liana: “Yes KWA has helped me a little bit, but they tell us to eat balanced diet – then it is not enough just to receive mealiemeal, mealie meal is not a balanced diet by itself.”
What is your dream of life?
Jennifer: ”I want to be a good tailor,I want to have my own house, and I want to make my own money and be working on my own, and to have my own shop”
Liana: “When my baby is able to walk, I want to find a job, I want to use my certificate, My father is in jail so I have to be strong and look after my mother and my two daughters.”
Veronica: “To see myself somewhere there”, “A person who is responsible and able to help others”, “I want to be a person who is able to sustain myself and my child 100 %!”
De tre kvinder jeg har interviewet kan karakteriseres som nogen af de mest succesfulde af medlemmer i Kwenuha Women’s Association. De har haft viljestyrken som skulle til for at gribe mulighederne, de kan opnå gennem organisationen. For dem betyder det et nyt liv, hvor de forhåbentlig kan tage ansvar for deres nærmeste og gøre deres bidrag til at udvikle det samfund, der omgiver dem.
Tilbage på min cykel i Dambwa North, hvor jeg bor, står Faith og vinker til mig blandt flokken af børn. Jeg kan ikke lade være med at tænke, at hun går en hård tid i møde i kampen for at blive ”somebody
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