Ewaway Bekele, 50, and her husband Kiros Alemu, 60, have five children. Three of the children are with disabilities. Mestawet Kiros has mental and developmental delay and she can’t walk. Gizachew Kiros and Meseret Kiros are suffering from scoliosis (back bone disability). Ewaway is a house wife and her sole responsibility is raising the children. The family lived in a deteriorated old house which they rented from landlord, which they paid $3 USD per month. With broken walls and unsanitary floors, the house is unhealthy and unsafe for the family, especially for the children. The husband Kiros Alemu himself has physical disability. The family’s livelihood is entirely dependent on the small money he earns from begging.

Ewaway and her children at their home

‘Better future for my children’

Ewaway Feleke, her husband, Kiros Alemu and the five children started their new life in their new house. Ewaway said that the previous house was old and dusty. It exposed the children to disease and made the family’s life difficult. ‘The new house is comfortable for my children. Now we have clean rooms, free space, toilet, kitchen and water point,’ Ewaway explained. The new house is suitable for the family in many aspects. As the family lives on meagre income, they had trouble paying rent. Landlords do not want to rent their homes to people with disabilities. There is humiliation from landlords.
’Three of my children and my husband are with disability. The new house is suitable to live and there is enough space for them to play, study and grow. We have freedom, do not worry about paying rent and be evicted,’’ Ewaway said.
One of the children, Gizachew Kiros said, ’Living in this new home makes me happy. I can study well.’ ’I want to thank Homes4Hope, cbm, Habitat and our supporters ’donors’ in all the words I can for creating better future for my children,’ Ewaway added.