A STORY OF HOPE AND HAPPINESS

This is the story of a girl called Abibatu Solomon and her baby. They are the reason Rosemary Bidwell started the charity.

Abi’s parents were killed by rebels during the war when she was nine years old. She had no one to look after her so she ran away. She ended up living on the streets of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Somehow she managed to survive during the rebel war stepping over dead bodies without being captured. She tells the graphic story of how she witnessed horrific killings and human tortures. 

She was forced to sell herself simply to survive and was one of the many children living rough in a lorry park with no one to care for her. 

When Abi was about fourteen or fifteen she was made pregnant and had a baby girl she called Mamunatu.

Abi had a friend called Frances who also had a baby about the same time, which she called Mohammed. Because of Rosemary’s experience and knowledge in caring for children, she was asked to take an active role in a programme set up by a charity organisation caring for these young lives.

In May 2005 on one of Rosemary’s visits the two babies were christened. The night before the christening, Abi, who by now had adopted Rosemary as her ‘white Mum’ said “I want to change the name of my baby, I want to call her Rosemary after you, because you have saved my life”! So little Mamunatu was renamed Rosemary.

Sadly soon after, Abi and Frances were forced back onto the streets to survive by the people in the organisation Rosemary thought she could trust to care for them.

Abi was taken very ill and it was arranged for her to have medical treatment and to be properly cared for. By now she was painfully thin and baby Rosie was also suffering.

It was decided that it would be in Abi’s best interest for her and baby Rosie to come to England for a visit and stay with Rosemary. Visas and passports were granted by the Embassy and Abi and Rosie were due to flew home to England in July 2006 with Rosemary.

Sadly when Rosemary arrived in Freetown to continue her work and bring the girls home, Abi and her daughter were nowhere to be seen. The organisation who she had entrusted to care for the girls had tried to get Rosemary arrested for child trafficking. After a week of interrogation and the case going before the high court Rosemary was released as it was clear that she was completely innocent of any wrong doing and the organisation in question were investigated for running a children’s charity without legal documentation and court orders protecting the children they took in. They attempted to prevent Abi and Rosie coming to visit England as they feared being found out for wrong doings. Abi and Rosie were eventually found and came to England for three months very weak and malnourished, with only the clothes they stood up in.

They soon settled with the aid of Rosemary’s love and affection and as time went by they became stronger and started to put on weight with Rosemary weighing them every week. “It was wonderful to see them blossom into two beautiful children” she said.

They loved the simply things like playing in the garden and going shopping in the supermarkets, with little Rosie now aged two touching the hearts of every one she met.

BBC Midlands Today heard about the wonderful story and came to film the children at Rosemary’s home. It was overwhelming to see the response and support from the public for her work with the children.

Abi and Rosie returned  to Sierra Leone in October 2006 as completely transformed children. Abi had gained her confidence and self respect back, but above all for the first time in her life she felt she belonged to someone special and called Rosemary Bidwell “Mum”. Little Rosie became well too, and learnt to say “thank you” to anyone for anything! 

There is no question that because of Rosemary’s dedication and determination, it has changed the lives of these two children, and given them a future to look forward to…All because someone cared for them.

Abi was given a little pocket money by Rosemary when she returned, and decided to spend some of it going to find her friend Frances and her baby Mohammed!....And she did!

This is Abi holding Frances's new baby. Frances looked so sad in her eyes, whereas Abi's eyes are happy because she has been given hope.

In December 2006 Rosemary returned to Sierra Leone to further the work of The Cotton Tree Children’s Trust and after searching among the open sewers and dark alley ways, Rosemary and Abi found Frances again! Rosemary was not sure what to expect from Frances, as she had  been let down by people she thought she could trust in the past. Frances ran towards Rosemary and greeted her with a big smile!

It was wonderful to see Frances again and the promise Rosemary had made when her baby was christened had never failed her. Frances said “I didn't think I'd ever see you again, I thought you had forgotten me like everyone else had"! Rosemary reminded Frances of that promise to love and care for her and Abi and their babies for the rest of their lives!

Frances with her two children. A picture of poverty with no hope for the future...Until Rosemary found her again.

© The Cotton Tree Children’s Trust 2009

cottontreechild@gmail.com