Homeless at six months but now a visionary for the future

Helina grew up on the streets of Gore, a small town in southwest Ethiopia. The eight year old never met her father; she lived with her mother and older brother in government housing until they were kicked out in 2006. Stranded and with no money, the family had nowhere to go. They moved to the streets and made a makeshift shelter out of plastic bags. Helina was six-months-old at the time.

Helina’s mother scavenged hotel garbage for food. But when she fell sick and could no longer forage food, Helina and her brother had to fend for themselves.

Helina’s childhood was slipping away. The children were vulnerable and exposed to exploitation but no one offered help. Then in 2012, the SOS Children’s Village in Jimma provided the children with proper shelter. The eight-year-old has become a child again – and this time she has big prospects for the future.

“The street was my home for six years. We slept on cartons; we suffered from cold nights and rain. I had no access to education or any form of care; we completely lost hope of ever living a decent life with dignity,” Helina says.

The SOS Village transformed the lives of the severely malnourished children. They were taken from the street and were protected, nurtured and groomed for a respectable future.

“I like living in the village because we have enough to eat, I have a comfortable bed and a real roof over my head,” says Helina. “I like that I have time to play; that I am not anxious about what I or my brother will eat. I have clean clothes and I can go to school.”

Helina is now in third grade. She explains that English is her favourite subject.

“I like the language because it is universal. I want to be fluent in it so I can be a voice for people who cannot speak for themselves,” she explains.

“I also want a career that brings relief to those in pain, to those who are helpless. I want to free people from diseases; my dream is to be a doctor, I am prepared to work hard.”