Meet the neighbours

There are a few new neighbours in my courtyard. Lonely moved out from across the way, Mwasiye has moved out as well. In their place, in a 12 x 7 ft room, now live Brenda, Essie, Mary and a woman with a baby. It must be a tight fit.

All of the girls, with the exception of Mary are going to school. Mary is 15 years old. She doesn't speak english and she only went to school up to grade 4. She is now in the employment of the woman with the baby. So, most days, she just sits around the house washing or cooking, and either takes care of the baby while the woman is at school, or does something else. There is not much to do so she probably just hangs around. Mary and my conversations are purely based around greetings in the morning and when I get home from work. I think she sees me as a curiosity.

Mary's options are limited. Since she can't speak English, her employment opportunities in the city are virtually zero. There are a lot of English speaking people out of work. English is also a sure sign of education. Hey life will probably take one of two roads. Either she will get married and depend on her husband for income, or she will stay employed as a 'house girl' looking after the cooking and cleaning for another woman. I'm not trying to be pessimistic or down on Mary. That's just the most likely possibility. I think about what the heck I was doing at 15. It seems a world away. But perhaps, my world view is wrong or naive. It wasn't that long ago, that people at that age in North America and Europe were working and starting families. It could very well be, that I'm being unrealistic. Maybe so, I'm not sure.