©InfoZoe rests her hands on her bulging belly and smiles: “I don’t know if I’m having a boy or a girl, but I know what I’m going to call my baby – it will be Prince or Princess.” Although Zoe is only seventeen, she already knows how to look after a child, she’s cared for her brother for six years, since he was a baby.
“During the war we were trying to run away, but on the highway my mother was arrested by fighters. My father managed to escape with me and my baby brother,” Zoe says. “We hid further along the road and from where we were we saw my mother being killed.”
In 2007, Zoe was offered a place at the child advocacy and rehabilitation centre. To begin with she was very withdrawn, but gradually over the year, with counselling, she started to come out of herself, and learned to mingle with friends again. “Some of my friends from the CAR centre live close by and occasionally we get to visit each other. We enjoy sharing jokes and funny things we remember from our days at CAR,” Zoe says.
Learning a trade
©InfoWhile at the CAR centre, Zoe learned to be a tailor. She says: “My parents weren’t able to send me to school and after the war I needed to improve my work opportunities. I feel proud that I now have a trade of my own and after graduating from the CAR centre I found a place in town where I could work as a tailor.
“With the money I make from tailoring I am able to pay for my brother, Lincoln, to go to school. We live with my father but he is very old. During the day I go to the workshop and in the evening I prepare bread, which I sell early in the morning. This way I am able to save some money and look after my brother and me.”
Returning to school
The CAR centre has an accelerated learning programme, which teaches core academic subjects, such as English, maths, social studies and history. This academic option is very helpful for those who have missed school for many years. It gives them an opportunity they may never have had, to begin and complete school.
Zoe intends to go back to school after having her baby. “I’m depending on my tailoring and the savings I’m now making. I will continue to work in the morning and go to school in the afternoon. I don’t know if I will go to university but I want to finish high school at least.
“There’s too much bluffing in this country – too many people who feel they are educated and can take advantage of others. If I finish high school I will know what’s right and what’s wrong. I’ll be able to stand in the community and speak and not be taken advantage of.”
Challenges ahead
©InfoOnce Zoe has her baby to look after, she will need to go to a school that is nearby. But the tailoring workshop is in town and takes a couple of hours to get to. She also has to pay rent, which will be difficult to continue paying.
“I think there are many CAR graduates in this position who need a place to do their work,” Zoe says. “I hope the Red Cross can provide us with a workshop.”
Madia Reeves, project co-ordinator, says: “We are looking into the possibility of building a workshop for the graduates, but we need to raise about £20,000. The good thing is that our masonry students could provide the labour.”
More about the child advocacy and rehabilitation programme