:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

How many Maldivians live like this?
Abbas lives with his 2 wives and 6 children in a 7 by 10 ft room

Translation of an article by Udhares Magazine - Sept. 2004

Abbas lives with his 2 wives and 6 children in small room in Male' - the capital island of Maldives

It was hard to believe his story at first. It was even harder to imagine anyone living is such appalling conditions in Male', especially this day in age. The truth was obvious when "Udhares" Reporters entered the room.

When we went to Henvairu ward Filikuri House and entered the room where Abaas Hassan lives, the place could only be described as a refugee camp. Plywood beds were stacked up. There were four beds in the room. Those are for his 6 children and 2 wives. The room does not even have a door. When they want to sleep they just draw the curtain. The even cook and eat in this space. As you enter the room, the kitchen is in one corner. In this 2ft by 2ft kitchen there was a cooker and some utensils. The room did not even have any specific space for clothes and toiletries. The floor also was bare sand, there wasn't any flooring. When they want to pray, they just throw a mat on the sand floor. The room is not adequate for a family to live in terms of hygiene wise as well as from a social angle. However, in this 7 ft by 10ft room, Abbas and his 6 children and 2 wives some how managed to live.

Abbas and his family are having to live in this appalling state because he has not been able to inherit the part of the land plot which due to pending court procedures. There is no other place for him to live in. Abbas is entitled to 939 sq. ft from this land plot. However, the court case has been dragging on for the past 4 years now.

When Udhares reporters went into the room, Abbas's Addu Atoll Wife was lying on one of the beds watching a film on Television Maldives, the TV was stuck on the wall. His (first) Baarashu wife was sitting next to him on another bed making sweet nuts to sell. At the same time, two of his daughters (20 and 15 years of age) were lying on the bed above this bed. This was where these two girls sleep with their youngest 6 year old brother. And, on the upper bed of the bed where his Addu Atoll wife was lying, their 3 boys sleep (ages 15, 12, 8) there.

These children even study and do their homework on their beds. One of them head difficulties and is repeating the year. When we went there one of the daughters was putting paper covers to her books. Once she finished that she started ironing some clothes, also on the bed. Despite having to live in this harsh condition, they still go to school and they do not complain because "they know it's their father's fate" said Abbas. Out of his 8 children, 2 daughters have now married and moved out. Abbas works in the local market selling seashells and other crafty items to western tourists.

The kitchen is also in one corner of this small room

Abbas's two wives are very close as if they are two flowers of the same colour blossomed in one plant. Abbas has 6 children (3 boys and 3 girls) for the first wife and a boy and a girl to the second wife. The surname of all his children is Shihab, named after Ibrahim Shihab, a great statesman of Maldives. His first son was born on the day Hon. Shihab passed away.

Abbas said that this house (Filikuri House) is his parents house and therefore he must inherit a part of that house. However, the complication is that the house is registered in the name of Abbas's brother Thuththu Hassan.

Life could not be any harder for a family. This is the destiny of thousands of Maldivians.

Whilst their President lives in a multi-million dollar palace, thousands of Maldivians don't even have enough to eat 3 times daily nor a place to sleep properly

His brother Thuththu wants to throw Abbas out of the house. In 1993, the case was filed in the court which instructed Abbas to vacate the premises. However Abbas refused to do so because he had no other place to go. In 1997, Abbas was sentence for 6 months banishment for refusing to obey the court order. Abbas When they came to take him to the boat for banishment, Abbas refused resulting in him being thrown in jail for 40 days. After his release, he was again asked to vacate the premise but he refused and ended up in jail for 4 months. During that period due to some unrests in the jail (a fire and an escape attempt) he was kept in the jail for one who year.

When he was out, he was absolutely devastated. Adding to his sadness was the fact that both his wives were banished to islands for 4 months each because they also refused to vacate the house, as they had no other place to go.

When all this was going on Abbas did submit the case to the Children's Unit(Ministry of Gender and Welfare). He also lodged the case to other authorities of the government. Finally he wrote to the President's Office and the result was that he was told by the Municipality that he will inherit a part of this house but after compensating his brother Thuththu. Until then Abbas's has no other way to live a peaceful life. This innocent family's future lies with the courts of the Maldives. Their dream of a happy life will only come true when the court makes the decision to grant them their right.