Carlos in Angola

Teenager Carlos Mezenga spends his spare time informing other children about their rights. In this space, you can follow Carlos's blog, writing about life in Angola.

Hello there. Everything alright?

I am back. Your friend forever, Carlos Mezenga.

Today I want to talk about living without a father

As you know, Angola has been at war for over 30 years. As a result, many children and young people live without a father. And this is tough in Angola. It is the toxic waste left by the war, which is still affecting us today. Due to poverty, our parents suffer from tuberculosis, coughing and asthma. And some children are born with those same diseases.

This is why many children and young people have a hard life. They live with the risk of catching the same illness that their parents died from: tuberculosis and asthma.

I have now been without my father for 33 days, because he suffered from coughing, asthma and a lung disease. My father had difficulties breathing. He spent 8 months at the hospital in Uíge. Due to lack of medicine, my mother had to buy it, and it was very, very expensive. Even so, my father still died, and he left five children. Today, many things have become harder to deal with, because he was the one taking care of us. He worked so that we could live. Now my mother has to do everything, she is 48 years old. My dad lived for 54 years, and his name was Alvoro Mezenga.

I am shedding a tear as I write this. See you next time.