She made it to 18

When I first became a mother, I did not know what I was doing or where I was going. First I fell in love like any girl, then I got accidentally pregnant. My boyfriend did not want to be a father so he abandoned me. I took the responsibiilty and raised the child on my own. When she was 5 month old I met Michel while he was working for an NGO in Burundi. We were in love and he accepted to be a father. We got married  and lived in different places in Africa before we moved to the Netherlands.

Not long after we moved to the Netherlands, at the age of 6 she started having seizures. They found out she had a brain tumor. Our life changed, we needed to keep her onder control in hospitals. We travelled to many different places all over the Netherlands. We are lucky the health system here is more advanced than in Burundi or other places we have lived in. 

Our daughter kept on growing, aware of having medication every day and learning to live with her condition which meant always having anti-epileptic emergency spray in her or in my own bag. We like to move around with bicycle like any family in here in the Netherlands and there was a time when it became difficult to go because Loris fell many times from her bicycle. So, on medical advice we got her a bike with 3 wheels as it was safer to move because she sat very low, so even if she would fall it would not be hard. And believe me, she still suffered from seizures but this time the bike saved her a lot. 

Things have changed now. For about 3 years she does not have seizures during day time, only when she is asleep. We actually heard that her brain tumor has become smaller which is great news. She has grown and for many years I did not know if she would make it to her 18th birthday after experiencing so many seizures, with comas at schools, home or on the streets. But we never gave up and we kept hoping that things will change one day and that she will feel better.

So on the 30th July 2019 she turned 18 years. We were very happy and celebrated her birthday. We had planned a day full of suprises with a swim and nice dinner outside our home. But we knew that to cycle there on her special bike is a nightmare for her. So as an extra special birthday present we made a deal with her to go back on a normal bike with a few extra precautions such as a helmet to protect her head. She was so happy, it was the best birthday present ever according to her. Of course she got more other presents, includding the trip to Marmaris in Turkey, but this one was her number one. We went to swim and at the end of the day we went again to dinner, all on a normal bike. We enjoyed being together and watch her smile.

Her 18th birthday will be unforgettable.

Happy birthday Loris, MERA loves you!

Peace,

Eliane

Girls adventure

It has been a while for me and my daughter to go on holiday outside of Holland. Fives years ago we went together was to Burundi in 2014. The main reason was that the past few years she needed a lot of medical assistance 24/7 because of her epileptie. After a few years her health improved and we had a big reason to celebrate also because of improvements at school.

Since she was approaching her 18 th birthday we thought to give her a holiday in Turkey as a birthday present. So we gave the name of our trip “ Girls Adventures”

We had an amazing time. First I was very excited to go with her again on holidays , although as a mother I always keep in mind that things could change under any circumstance, so I was prepared to ask for help anytime.

We left the Netherlands on the 10th July and arrived the same day in the evening. All went well and we were so lucky with the flight, no cancellation or delays. We went to stay in a place called Icemeler near Marmaris city. Our room in our hotel Golmar Beach provided a beautiful view to the beach, swimming pool and a beautiful garden. Our hotel was also surrounded by hills.

So on our first day we walked around the beach, just to get an idea of the neighbourhood. Then we took a afternoon nap on the beach after a nice swim, cooling down because the day was very hot.

Our Adventure moment started on 14 July when we went on a boat trip to DALYAN to turtle island

where we visited the turtle sanctuary. A place where they treat turtles injured at sea. Loris had a great opportunity to ask many interesting questions to the guide. After we continue to the mud bath, a very healthy alternative to heal many skin-related disease. This was a great moment to shine. We had fun smimming and rubbing our body in the mud. It was very good for my skin. One lady was starring at me and then I made a joke; ”This is the moment where we all are the same colour“. We both laughed and she said “You are absolutely right!”.

We left this place feeling great and continued with our boat to visit the Kings’ tombs which were carved inside a high mountain rock by the Lycians 24 (!) centuries ago. They believed that the higher you were buried, the closer you would be to God. But also the richer you were, the higher you could be buried. So poor people were always buried at the foot of the mountain which meant according to Lycian believes they never rich enough to go to heaven!

Our last adventure was on a Jeep safari where we did an amazing jeep ride with more than 30 jeeps full of people. We all got waterguns and started shooting at eachother with water. I had never done this before and it was a lot of fun. We went to visit waterfalls and Jesus Beach, a very famous place where everybody is walking in the middle of the water which looks like you are walking on top of the water. Loris had a fun of making pictures with a parrot on her shoulder.

Our last day we spent on shopping in Marmaris where we had fun confusing many shopkeepers. As

she always called me mum, they didn’t want to believe that we were mother and daughter. I was too young to be her mother. At some stage it was no longer nice to us to keep explaining, so we decided to tell them that we are sisters. Yeah, we look like sisters! We finished our shopping at a place called ‘Jan de Wit’. Who, coming from the Netherlands, does not go to this restaurent for its great food and to enjoy Dutch music before returning home?

It was very important is to see Loris happy and having fun! We did it all good, the girls on adventure!

The Colourful Cultures Festival

I always say that we are One people  although we come from different Nations. We are connected in may ways. This Sunday I witnessed it during the Multicultural Colourful Cultures Festival in Liendert.

I remember sitting with Paul Liklikuata and Liekje Hoffoman at the Huis van Bartels, drinking our coffee, and we started with this first idea of creating something to connect as many nationalities as possible. Liendert has 80 Nationalities while the whole of Amersfoort has 132 Nationalities. This festival idea start like a dream, and putting it in action was a great honour. It was my first time to help organising a Festival. I cannot be more proud than what we have achieved yesterday on such a hot day! 

The Colourful Cultures Festival had a lot of activities for young and old. Gospel Kidz, Liendert Orkest,  Evangelique Rap, Indonongo, Suzuki Guitar groep, and Duze Nomshikashika a choir which sings South-African Songs in the native language, unique in Amersfoort. This choir is very special to me as they sing about the struggle for peace and fight against HIV and AIDS in South Africa. As HIV stigmafighter I joined this choir since March this year and yesterday I performed two solo songs with the choir. 

During one song I was talking about HIV and Aids killing people, let’s fight it before it finishes us all. I could read people’s faces while I sing with an open heart to the public, and how people where touched by the message. This is a message I will also bring to South Africa in October as I am travelling with the choir to Soweto and Cape Town to perform in different Townships, and to sing and give HIV education where I will share my real HIV story and give hope to people. During our show they were fundraising to help me join the choir for this Project. It was a great performance and I am thanking all who donated to make my dream come true. 

Another activity that kept me busy the last few weeks as well was the Fashion show. I managed to bring together 11 Nationalities to present their traditional outfit . We had a beautiful Dominican Republic group MODESTO AQUINO, and people from Morocco, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Yemen, Netherlands, Indonesia, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, and South-Africa. We pulled together a great show where everybody showed with pride something original and beautiful from their country of origin.  

Burundi was represented by me and my Son Akira. Something I am very proud of as a mother, to teach Burundian Culture to the new generation. Akira is born in the Netherlands and has a Dutch father, and it was very special to see him in traditional cloths made of wood (INYAGITI) which is the first outfit worn by our great great parents before modern clothes were available. I was dressed in ‘modern’ clothes with traditional prints, like a local woman in a village. We walked together waving the burundian Flag. What else can I say? A great Honour! I loved the way we ended the show, 11 countries coming together and dancing our colourful dance. Smiling, having fun, that is what it is all about, right? We are One colourful people! 

Thank you for being there and see you next year!