My name is Hasan Ali. I am 17 years old, but my life changed when I was just ten. That was the year I lost both my parents. My mother went first. Then my father. I don't talk about that time much. It was very hard.
After they were gone, I looked around and there was no one. My grandparents were there but they were old and sick themselves. My brothers and sisters were small. The youngest ones did not fully understand what had happened. I was ten years old but I had to figure out what to do.
Water Scarcity in the Area
The first big problem was water. There was no tap near our house. Every morning I would wake up early and walk two kilometers to get water. I carried heavy bottles back home. Sometimes I went two times in one day. My hands and back hurt a lot. I was always tired.
Because of this I started missing school. First a few days, then more days. I kept telling myself I would go back. But then weeks passed. I had to find work. I started selling things on the street, small things, whatever I could sell to bring a little money home. Some days were okay. Other days I came home with almost nothing and I did not know what we would eat.
I missed school very much. My father used to tell us that education is the most important thing. He wanted all of us to study. When I had to stop, I felt like I was letting him down even though he was already gone. That feeling stayed with me for a long time.
