Besufekad: autistic child left alone with young cousin while parents work.

Besufekad Yohannes

 

 

Besufekad is a sweet four year old boy who has been in the sponsorship program for half a year without sponsors. While he has not been diagnosed by a doctor, it is believed that he has some form of autism as he cannot speak nor can he eat by himself. There has been some improvement in his disability as he is starting to call out for his parents, but that is all he can manage to speak. He is currently living with his mom and his dad, as well as his one brother and his sister (who are older than he is). His parents are both daily laborers who work 12 hour days. Since the family is struggling to make ends meet, they leave the four year old child with his eight year old cousin (as neither are enrolled in school) to watch him while they work. Monthly rent is 300 birr, just around $15 USD.

When I visited the boy my last day in Ethiopia, he was running around wearing only a tee shirt. Clothes, food, and a mattress are the current immediate needs for this family as the children are sleeping on the floor. I would also suggest a daycare should he find a sponsor so that he is not left alone with an eight year old who should not be forced to watch him anyway. If another sponsor were found, while the cousin is not in the BCI program, we may be able to find a school to enroll him in should someone be willing to cover the monthly fee. For BCI Academy, that fee is about 380 birr, or just under $20 USD a month.

If you are interested in helping this family, and helping Besufekad to live a healthier, more stable life, please contact me for further information.