Zawiya was only seventeen years old when she crossed from Burundi with nothing but a small bag of clothes and a heart full of hope. Life back home had become too hard after losing her parents at a young age. She dreamed of finding work in a new place so she could survive and maybe build a better future. The city was strange, crowded, and cold to her, but every morning she walked the streets searching for any kind of job that could help her stay alive.
For almost three months, Zawiya struggled alone. Some days she slept hungry, and other nights she cried quietly because she missed home. One afternoon, she met a man who spoke kindly to her. He promised to help her, give her a place to stay, and support her dreams. To Zawiya, those words sounded like heaven after months of suffering. She trusted him because she had no one else in the world to lean on.
Within a short time, Zawiya became pregnant. The man who once spoke sweetly began changing slowly. When she gave birth to beautiful twins, he stayed around for only the first three months. After that, he disappeared completely without a word. Zawiya was left carrying two babies in her arms, confused and broken. Being a foreigner with no relatives, no money, and no support, she did not know where to begin.
Years passed with pain and struggle. The twins are now four years old, and Zawiya wakes up every day fighting to provide even the smallest meal for them. Sometimes she washes clothes for people, other times she sells little things on the roadside just to survive. Though life has not been kind to her, she continues to push forward because her children are the only reason she still has strength.
Deep inside her heart, Zawiya still hopes that one day her story will change. She dreams of seeing her twins go to school, laugh freely, and live a better life than the one she endured. Even through abandonment, loneliness, and hardship, she has remained standing. Her story is not only about pain, but also about the courage of a young mother who refused to give up when life became unbearable.
The tiwns both girls
About Author
