Mauritius: Education is the key to success

“I want to go to university and have a useful degree when I grow up.”

My name is Eva, I am 11 years old and I am in Grade 5. My favourite subjects are Maths, Information Communication and Technology (ICT), Art and Physical Education. I like to play with my friends, sleep and watch movies.

My father was a heavy alcoholic. When he was drunk, he would talk very rudely. He used to physically abuse my mother and would sometimes hit me and my siblings. I avoided talking to my dad when he was angry and this made him angrier. My big brother often tried to prevent my father from hitting my mother. As the fight between my brother and father would then get worse, my mother preferred to accept her own beating.

Our relatives have been supportive of us during hard times and often provided us with shelter when my dad’s behaviour worsened. My sister’s teacher introduced my family to Safe Haven Halfway Home (SHHH) and we joined in October 2021. At first, it was difficult for me to adapt to a new environment with new faces and a new way of common living. The staff and residents made us feel welcome and after some time, I felt more at ease. The safe environment at SHHH helped tighten the bond among my mother, my elder sisters, little brother and myself. I often help my little brother to do his Maths homework. I try to give him some advice in life as well.

In terms of my future plans, I want to go to university and have a useful degree when I grow up. This motivates me to work hard in my studies. Even when my father would make our lives miserable, I would still work hard to obtain good grades at school. I want to own a house, a car and have a dog. I would welcome my family to live with me. I want to maintain a close relationship with them. I would like to either become a teacher or an air hostess. One of the languages I would like to learn as an air hostess is Arabic as I want to visit Morocco, the birth country of one of the residents of SHHH for whom I have high regards. I will teach my children that they should cherish their loved ones and also work hard to achieve their goals.