AWASSA, 1 July 2008 (IRIN) - Like much of Ethiopia, the south, where Amarat Mebrie lives, is experiencing severe food shortages. She told IRIN/PlusNews how she has coped since her son died two years ago, leaving her the sole guardian and caregiver of his three children.

"I am 66 years old and a widow. After my husband died I decided to come to Awassa [a town in southern Ethiopia] because I had a cousin who lived here, who told me that life here would be better than what we had on our farm. Also, the brothers of my husband wanted the land after he died and made my life very difficult.

"So I moved here with my son, but two years ago he died of HIV. He had three young children. His wife was living with me, but about three months after my son died she left, as soon as she found out that she was HIV-positive.

"I am also HIV-positive; I found out shortly after my son's death. Since his wife left here I have heard nothing from her. She is living in a nearby town and came once to see the children, but she hid herself from me. Before she left I begged her not to leave me with the children but she did, so now what am I to do but look after them?

"The oldest boy is eight years old, the other boy is six and the youngest is a girl who is three. None of them have been tested for HIV, but I suspect the middle boy is HIV-positive because he is thinner and weaker than the other two.

"Because he hasn't fallen sick I haven't yet taken him to be tested, but if he gets sick I will. Testing at the voluntary counselling and testing centre is free, but it is quite a long way to go with a young child; also, I am scared for him - that he may be positive and then be discriminated against at school.

"I get a small amount of wheat flour once a month because I am HIV-positive and caring for children orphaned by HIV. We used to get oil, sugar, salt and milk powder, but this stopped about five months ago because the funding for it stopped.

"I also used to get a cash transfer of about 120 Ethiopian Birr [US$12] a month, but this stopped at around the same time as the food. Since this stopped things have been hard, but I beg from relatives and also from neighbours in this compound.

"When the children are sick we go to the local health clinic and I have to pay. Because I am HIV-positive I can get free treatment at the referral hospital, but it is a long way for me to go. At the health centre it is 6 Birr [$0.60] for registration and then about 14 Birr [$1.40] for treatment.

"Sometimes I try to make a living from weaving cotton, but with three children to look after it's hard to find the time. Also, sometimes I just feel too sick.

"For breakfast we normally eat bread that I make from wheat-flour and sometimes manioc. Normally we don't have lunch, but if we can we will have a sweet potato for supper.

"Last week someone gave me some meat for the children to eat because it was Easter – this was the first meat we had eaten all year. We hardly ever eat vegetables because there is no money to buy them with, and we don't have enough land to grow them on. I am meant to eat fresh vegetables because I am taking ARVs [antiretroviral medication] but this just isn't possible now.

"I am feeling better since I started taking the ARVs, but I can't think too much about my diet because then I get worried and get headaches. My biggest worry is trying to feed my three grandchildren every day – so my diet can only come second to theirs."

kh/kr/he

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