Fotini lives with her 3-year-old boy and her helpless mother in an old house in the village of Vrysoules in the province of Famagusta. He is only 22 years old and is going through very difficult times, financially and psychologically.
Fotini Zannettou reports to Ant1.com.cy:
"I was born on 6/10/1997 in Paralimni and I have two brothers. My childhood was very difficult. My parents divorced when I was four years old and my mother was tortured until she was growing up. For the first few years, we lived in my grandparents' house (with my mother's parents) and she helped us financially with her grandparents and the Welfare Office. My mom worked whenever they needed help in the greenhouses.
My teenage years…
Unfortunately, I did not finish high school, I lost the year because I was absent. At the age of 15 I met the father of my child, he was 23 years old. I loved him so much, he gave me all that love, affection and tenderness that I missed so much. I was happy with him.
At 18 I got pregnant. We had a very healthy baby boy and I was very happy. I thought everything was going well, I dreamed of the future and I thought my life would be beautiful from now on. Unfortunately, nothing went well.
Three years ago, my mother became seriously ill. At first he had severe back pain but we thought that with the medication he was taking he would be completely well. But every day is even worse, he can hardly walk at all. Luckily we found a wheelchair in my other grandmother's house and she moved with it.
The problems are not over here…
My partner and I broke up two years ago. It was very difficult until I was able to recover because a separation is never easy. My emotional balance was severely shaken, but I had to find the strength and courage to keep going for my child and my mother who need me so much.
My life today…
My brother is engaged and lives with his fiancée while my sister lives with my grandmother. My mother and I moved to Vrysoules permanently about a year ago. It was my father's parents' house and we have been renting it from my aunt. I thought that if we moved, our lives might change, it would get better, but unfortunately…
My mother is ill and needs help. I don't have the money to send my child to school and now that I've found a job in a bakery - a few days ago I was hired - I don't have anyone to keep it in the afternoons. I get the Child Benefit once a year (475 euros) but I don't get a Single Parental Family because I don't have the money to secure the required decrees.
My mom receives the EUE (Minimum Guaranteed Income) and with 480 euros we pay the rent, electricity and water. Most of the time we have no money left for food. We have nothing in the fridge and most days, if we have ingredients, we just eat a sandwich. Our life is very difficult and if it weren't for my grandmother (my mother's mother) helping us a little, we would definitely be in a much worse situation. My mom should get a disability allowance and not the EU, that's what we've been trying for the last few days.
I don't want to be afraid to dream about the future…
I want to think that everything will become more beautiful in my life. I want to see my child smile, be happy. To see the sky and think that maybe tomorrow will be better, to have joys.
But I also want to wish all the young people of my age who happened to have poverty and hardship in their lives, to be able to realize all their dreams. Also, all the children of the world should always have both parents close to them ".
Article: Christiana Dionysiou / ant1.com.cy