When the Care Workers of Chibote community started to notice a line of four younger siblings following Rosa into the Care Point, and then huddled around Rosa’s one plate of food, they realised this was a home that needed visiting to understand more about the family. In response, they added all of the children to the daily Care Point because the need in the family was significant.
Rosa has been part of the Care Point since she was a very young child, growing up under the watchful gaze of the Butemwe Community Based Organisation’s local volunteers. In particular, a local lady – Idah – got to know Rosa, and to this day has been a consistent and loving figure in her life. Idah has helped Rosa and her siblings to feel very safe at the Care Point, where they know they will be looked after and their needs will be met. “It’s our place of survival,” 12-year-old Rosa says.
The stability of the Care Point in Chibote is for children, just like Rosa, who endure a fragile and often unpredictable environment at home. Rosa’s mother, Elizabeth, has an informal alcohol business, working from home where people roam in from the community at all times of day and night. She is overwhelmed by the burden of caring for her five children and they are often left dirty and free to play in and around the community. Chibote is not always a safe place for children to be, with alcohol abuse rife and young girls left particularly vulnerable.
Although Rosa does have a father, he spends significant time away from the family home, working in the bush to make charcoal. His absence is difficult for the family but there is hope, too. Rosa and her siblings are known, their lives are spoken into and prayed over, and they experience love and care every day.