From domestic service at 6 years old to new life in an SOS family: Diane’s story
"I was born into a poor family; my parents were farmers who barely met our needs, we survived on the bare minimum," said Diane. "When my mother fell sick with malaria, she could not go to a doctor because we had no money; she died in 2004. I was three years old and my little sister Gloria was twelve months old. My father struggled to raise us with the little he could get from the farm but there was never enough," she said.
The family was falling apart. Strained relations between Diane’s father and his family members over land kept relatives away. No one came to help.
One day a neighbour sympathised and took Diane in; Gloria was placed in a children’s orphanage in Bujumbura, Burundi’s capital .
In 2007, Diane’s father succumbed to malaria and soon after she was kicked out of her neighbour’s house. She suspects her relatives had something to do with it. "I was six years old at the time; I felt alone, confused, rejected and with no-where to go," said Diane. "I looked for work as a domestic help. I moved from family to family looking for a place that resembled the home I had lost; I really suffered."
Diane’s step-sister heard of her predicament through relatives and sought help from SOS Children’s Village Cibitoke in north-west Burundi. In September 2009, after years of separation, Diane and Gloria were reunited when they joined an SOS family in the village. "At first I was not sure about the new family," said Diane, "as the ones before had left me frustrated. I was just happy Gloria had come back into my life again and because we could live in the same house."
It did not take long for Diane to realise that her SOS family was unlike any other family she had lived with – not even her biological family. "I just like how children are taken care of here in the village; I like how my mother treats me. I have developed a tight bond with her and she always supports me even when I am in a bad mood," said Diane. "I have everything I need, I can even go to the doctor when I am sick; my mind is settled and I am even performing well in school these days. I have just passed my 6th grade exam and will be joining grade 7 next term."
"I like reading, and now that I have a chance to go to school - a good school - my future depends on the effort I put into my studies. I particularly desire to learn and speak fluent English because I would like to work in a foreign country, where English is the language of instruction. I am still not sure about my future profession, I just know that I need to be a good English speaker," said Diane. "I am already attending an intensive English training programme here in the village."
Diane is fluent in French, Burundi’s official language and Kirundi, her mother tongue. When she is not practising her English vocabulary, she listens to music; "I listen to music on the radio, I especially like traditional Burundi songs; I am a member of the traditional songs club here in the village," said Diane. "Apart from that, I enjoy knitting; I make table cloths for my family house and sweaters for my brothers and sisters."
When asked about her life in the village, 13 year old Diane smiles, then she says, "my life in SOS Cibitoke is wonderful, I could not ask for more. I am surrounded by people who care about me and I have found my lost dignity. My mother has helped me feel important and to regain my confidence. I now know that the power to become what I want to be in life lies within me. If I had not found my way here, to this village, I would have ended up hopeless and poor. I would have had no future but now, I am on the right path."
Canadian's wishing to support SOS Children's Villages are encouraged to sponsor a child, sponsor a village or to make a direct donation. Your support ensures that SOS Children's Villages can continue to provide a safe and loving home to orphan and abandoned children worldwide.