Edlena Barros, journalist

Hello, my name is Edlena Barros. I'm from Sao Tome and Principe, two small islands in Africa, lost in the world. I am a 26-year-old journalism graduate. Since I started working in 2008, I've realized that I'm a privileged person. I have a house, I have to pay for a car, for access to drinking water, rent, electricity, the Internet and other small things that don't usually have much significance in day-to-day life. I wasn't aware of their importance. My salary doesn't cover the amount I have to spend to get the basics, but I can say I get much more than most of my colleagues.

Yes, I'm a privileged person. But when I go out of my "world" I can see that life has been brutal for many people in Sao Tome. Many families from my background don't know how it feels to be in a position to have a house, they don't know how it feels to give birth at home, they don't have access to drinking water. Many live almost alone, because they have no infrastructure or are forced to travel several kilometers on foot to get water or just to go and study. Making three meals a day and earning a decent wage are seen as luxuries. Yes, I'm a very privileged. I wonder why others can't be as well.

Somehow I think I, we, know the causes of the problem. I live in a country where the gross domestic product is decreasing and where the constant political crises prevent development. It's a country that depends on aid from other countries for 92 percent of its income, a country where health is a serious national problem and education is poor. Yes I, we, want a better country.

Author: Edlena Barros / hw

Editor: Anke Rasper