Folding bed for Sarah’s kids

Although Sarah’s parents abandoned her when she was young, they re-entered her life when she was 16 and, despite her resistance, forced her to marry.

Her husband was violent toward her, a problem that only got worse after the family moved to Israel from Ethiopia in 1991. At first, Sarah’s parents refused to let her divorce him, but when the abuse got worse, a friend helped Sarah flee, with her six children.

Despite the upheaval in their lives, none of the six developed behavioral issues. They all completed 12 years of education and are now working, studying, or serving the country. Sarah’s second husband was violent as well, behavior that, despite their divorce, affected their four children more negatively.

Sarah works as an aid to the elderly, and tries to stretch her income to cover the needs of the 10 children. She lives with five of them in a three-room public housing apartment; the other five live outside of the home but return on weekends. The apartment is in bad shape, with leaks and crumbling walls, after a contractor cheated Sarah, then disappeared in the middle of the necessary repairs.

In the girls’ room, there is only one bed, which Sarah and her youngest share, and a mattress on the floor. A high rise bed would allow one more daughter a place to sleep, giving her some comfort and dignity.