Aster Kata had a tough childhood and adolescence, but she never gave up. Now she hopes for a better future for herself and her little daughter Hiwot.
My life has always been difficult. For the first time, I now have hope.
I grew up in Addis Ababa and attended school for six years. Then I had to stop to support my family. I was thirteen when I started working. For ten years, I was a day laborer on construction sites. I carried sacks of cement, sometimes up to the fifth floor. I handed over my wages at home.
When I was about 23, I went to Lebanon. I worked for four years in Beirut as a domestic worker. My wages were $100 a month, and the money went to middlemen. They only sent a portion of it to my parents. I never saw a penny myself. I didn't have a single day off; I was always at home.
Many Ethiopian women are treated very badly there. I was lucky. Before I left, I was told never to speak to the man of the house. I followed this advice, and so I got along well with his wife. She was strict, but she didn't hit me. I worked from dawn till dusk, without a break, seven days a week. After four years, I thought: This is no life.
Back in Addis Ababa, I met a man. At first, things were good, but I soon realized he was drinking and then his behavior changed. I ended the relationship. Shortly afterward, my daughter Hiwot was born.
Now I live with my sister, her husband, and their two children in a single small room. There are six of us. At night, my daughter, my nephew, and I sleep on mattresses downstairs, while my sister and her husband sleep upstairs on some planks reached by a ladder. During the day, we tidy everything away and cook in the same room. I sometimes feel bad because I can't contribute anything. When I'm doing laundry somewhere, people give me a little teff flour or something to eat. Then I take it home.
I recently started an apprenticeship as a domestic manager. I heard from other women in my neighborhood that they learn a lot there. They said, "Do it, even if you only went to sixth grade." One neighbor looks after my daughter while I'm at the apprenticeship.
I've already learned a lot. How to prepare a balanced meal with just a few ingredients. How to work carefully in hotel service, serve in a restaurant, and properly look after children. I've learned to manage time and resources effectively. All of this gives me confidence. I see that I'm capable.
After my apprenticeship, I want to work in a hotel kitchen. Later, I want to open my own small street food stall. I know it will be difficult, but I want to try. I believe I can do it.
