©InfoRassoha, 31, and her son Rachid, 13, live on the fifth floor of a Soviet apartment block. They have lived there all their lives. Running water does not reach the fifth floor, and Rassoha has to collect water by hand from the ground floor.
Looking around the apartment, there is plenty of water to be seen seeping in through the walls and turning the faded wallpaper black with mould.
These living conditions, coupled with poor working conditions have weakened Rassoha’s immune system. It is not surprising that she contracted TB. She is not sure where from, but in the impoverished neighborhood where she lives it is not uncommon. Despite this, she doesn’t want people to know about her condition. She says: “I am scared that if my son’s friends find out I have TB, they will stop playing with him.
“To get permission to work I had to have a health test, which is when TB was discovered,” Rassoha explains. “I was so shocked and I was depressed because I used to think it was not curable. I was scared that my son would also catch it and we would both die.”
Red Crescent support
Rasshoha says: “The day that Jelena, a Red Crescent nurse who lives in my area, started visiting us, things began to look up. She brought us food packs that were a real help because I am only on 30 per cent of my salary now. But the psychological support she gives me is even more important. After I see her I am always feeling more positive, stronger and think that things are not so bad.
“Jelena is the only one I can talk to – my parents only see tragedy and think this is the end of the world, but Jelena taught me this disease can be cured. She repeated this to me every week until I finally believed it. She also encouraged me to carry on with my treatment even though it made me feel sick with headaches and nausea.
“I don’t know how I would have survived if the Red Crescent had not been there. I would have had to carry on working through my illness to support my son, because without the Red Crescent food parcels we would not have had any food.”
When asked if she is hopeful for the future Rassoha smiles widely for the first time. “It is so good to know that people care,” she says. “I am almost finished with my treatment. Now I have hope for the future.”
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