M’s story

The home visit was to the home of M, a 27-yr lady who has 2 children, S (girl of 9) and D (boy of 4). They live in a very poor part of Addis, in a home that is no more than 2m x 3m, has no bed, no proper walls, no finished floor, no windows, no electricity, no running water, no sanitation, and is the through-way to the people who live in the room behind.

M lives there with the two children, her two sisters, her brother, and until very recently her mum (since deceased). She has lived there all her life.

M’s mum was a prostitute, so M knew no other option and hence ended up in the same dark profession. One of her sisters is also in prostitution. As far as M was concerned, she wasn’t worthy of any other profession, that was her life mapped out for her and her family – a cruel and heartless life, but what else could she do.

The two children were conceived through ‘work’ and that, plus the various addictions that crowded out M’s mind, meant that she felt no love for the children at all, and they were just mouths to feed, and objects in her life; just like she was an object in other people’s lives – to be thrown away / abused / used at their whim.

But then M met the WAR outreach worker and as trust grew, the worker spoke of the WAR programme that can help get ladies out of prostitution and into a better life. The ladies have to want to do it though, it has to be voluntary, and the ladies have to want that change in their lives.

M started attending the drop-in centre, to learn more about the programme and from there she got herself accepted onto the full programme about 3 months ago.

Already M has seen several changes in her own life – she has started coming off drink and drugs and as a result is more aware of the world around her, and of her children. She has started to feel love for her children and to take an interest and caring role in their lives. She has started to hope again, to believe in the future, to wake up feeling like there is a positive reason to get on with the day. She has become aware of God’s love for her, and her worth in His eyes. She is showing the reality of no longer being a slave to sin, no longer living according to the sinful nature, but living according to the life of the Spirit (Romans 8:4)

M has a long way to go on the road to recovery – you can’t shake off 10 years of darkness, and being enslaved to sex, drugs and alcohol just like that. It is a brave step she has taken to walk away from the lifestyle that she grew up in, and the lifestyle that her family and friends live in.

She took that step for her children, as was voiced when I asked M what her hopes are for the future. Her reply was that she wants her children to get an education, and opportunities; she wants them to be able to live a better life than she was ever able to live. M’s hopes for herself are to become a scarf weaver at the WAR skills centre, and to be a good mother.

After I had prayed for M and her family, we did some photos, gave some food gifts as a thank you for having us and bade our farewells. And as we left, M stood with S by her side. They were hugging each other as they waved us goodbye, and I saw M look down at S and give her a loving smile. It was a smile that showed the hope and love that is starting to shine through in M’s life – with God’s grace may those seeds of hope and love grow and grow and grow, and spread their wings into the lives of all whom M encounters that they may all know just how high and wide and deep and strong is that love of God that can overcome all things.