Friday, November 15, 2024

He's 14. He loves soccer. He's the sole caregiver for his little twin brothers

Mahawat Zakaria Jouma is happy when he gets a chance to play soccer, but mostly he is busy taking care of his siblings, trying to earn money makeing bricks, and going to school. Claire Harbage/NPR

When I meet him, 14-year-old Mahamat Djouma is doing what many teenagers do in their spare time: dribbling a soccer ball with his foot.

But when he's done, tired and hungry, he doesn't have anyone to welcome him home with a warm plate of food. Instead, he has a world of responsibilities: He's the sole caregiver for his 5-year-old twin brothers, Hassan and Hissein, who are waiting for him in their mud brick home in a refugee camp in eastern Chad.


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