Last Pose with A friend

Here in Yemen, the women wear black cloaks and veils that cover everything but the eyes. Most women do not allow their picture to be taken, or only do so after much deliberation.

My sadeek is different. Her spontaneity and friendly character make your day a pleasant one, and she is somehow unique. She bravely removed her black cloak and veils when I asked her for a picture. She immediately said YES, as long as we are together in the picture- so here we are, together and my last pose with my "Sadeek" friend.

Abeda Marool is a 55 years old. She is single and was never married. Abeda said that she did not choose not to get married, but did not have the chance to because she has to take care of her mother who has cataracts and her niece who has cerebral palsy. When her brother got married and his wife delivered a baby girl with cerebral palsy, her brother immediately gave Abeda the custody of the child. Now, her niece is already 20 years old and Abeda treats her like her own daughter.

In Yemen, when impairment occurs in the family, whether from birth or by accident later in life, the family has to re-organize their resources of labor, time and capital in order to meet the new needs. This is what Abeda had to do, to provide for her neice, herself, and her mother. Abeda makes her own livelihood, takes care to her niece and to her mother, and at the same time attends to their household chores.

Abeda has been a recipient of SED (Small Enterprise Development) since 2007, when she received 30,000.00 YR (150.00 USD) from ADRA Yemen. She bought two female and one male sheep that gave her three lambs. She later sold her sheep and was able to get another three with the help of a loan. Abeda says “Now I am benefiting from SED and I am very happy because I don’t feel alone, ADRA Hais is with me to assist me in giving life to my mother and to my niece.”

“A healthful thanks to ADRA”, were her parting word.

Like Abeda, many people here in Hais has been nice to me. They are with me in time of struggle and adjustment to live a life in the middle of the desert. My time is up here in Hais City. My life has been difficult and a challenging one but the learning I've got cannot be paid by any amount. With the emptiness and isolation I experienced in most weekends, I feel closer to the divine source of my life, though I am miles away from my family. It has been three years now that I am wondering around the globe, I've have seen many faces of poverty, and how the disadvantaged cope with and I keep asking my self is there really equality? where is justice? the answer is hard to find but I always find myself in one conclusion we will never be forsaken, there is always somewhere there in the cross road to save you,... just keep trusting HIM!!!

Goodbye beautiful and genuine people of Hais, you made me closer to my creator.