This week at Ytesfa Birhan I received an update on several of the Ethiopians that I have blogged about in the past.

Mulawork lives with her elderly Grandma. They share a double bed in a small mud and corrugated iron dwelling. When I last visited we were rejoicing with Grandma that she and Mulawork had a roof over their heads once more. Now Mulawork’s auntie lives there too. This auntie was working as a house help in Dubai – a common destination for young women, where they can be poorly treated and may gain little money to send home to their families. However in this case the young auntie was put in prison for two months. She returned to Ethiopia and her passport was removed; hence Mulawork and her Grandma have a house guest and another mouth to feed.

There has been a city wide shortage of AIDS medication. This could have had an impact on Mesaret’s mum. In fact she was down to her last day’s supply when she was taken to a clinic. Word had it there was a supply of medication there. Fifty people were waiting in one room. There was a woman in the crowd crying. She had been without medication for nine days and was starting to feel the effect. She was upset because she had not told her children of four, nine and twelve what her diagnosis was and she was scared for their futures. I’m pleased to report that both women were able to receive enough medication for the next three weeks.

Handana, the lady we met under the bridge, has been moved on but is still hoping for alternative accommodation soon.

Back at Bingham new second-hand playground equipment has been installed - purchased from a school in America. The Ytesfa Birhan girls were so excited to try it out and even the older girls squeezed themselves onto the equipment, laughing and smiling as they descended the slide and landed on the sand beneath. They had probably seen nothing like it before and it was just wonderful to witness their enjoyment.

A brief respite from the challenges of everyday life.