Edson je rođen u Angoli, neposredno nakon što je ta zemlja stekla nezavisnost. Bio je veoma visok dečak. Isticao se zbog svoje visine. Ljudi koji su davali oružje deci da se bore kao vojnici u građanskom ratu želeli su dečake poput njega.
Edson was born in Angola, just after the country became independent. He was a very tall boy. Because of his height he stood out. The people who were giving weapons to children to fight as soldiers in the civil war wanted boys like him.
Njegova majka se plašila da će ga oni uzeti, pa je odlučila da ga pošalje u Portugal da živi kod tetke. Mislila je da će tamo biti bezbedan.
His mother was afraid they would take him, so she decided to send him to live in Portugal with an aunt. She thought he would be safe there.
U početku je bilo veoma teško jer su Edsonu nedostajali toplo vreme, tradicionalna hrana i, najviše od svega, majčini zagrljaji i poljupci.
It was very difficult to begin with, as Edson missed the warm weather, the traditional food and, most of all, his mother’s hugs and kisses.
Nije dobro govorio portugalski i bilo mu je veoma teško da prati nastavu i razgovore svojih drugova iz razreda. Pitao se da li je dolazak u Portugal uopšte bio dobra ideja.
He did not speak Portuguese well and found it very hard to follow his classes and the conversations of his classmates. He wondered if it was a good idea to come to Portugal after all.
Jednog dana, nastavnik je primetio koliko je on dobar u košarci. Pridružio se košarkaškom timu i bio je veoma uspešan. Postao je popularan u školi i stekao prijatelje. Takođe je postao samouvereniji.
One day a teacher noticed how good he was at basketball. He joined a basketball team and was very successful. He became popular at school and made friends. He also became more confident.
Sada kada je odrastao, Edson obučava decu izbeglice i ostale kojima preti rizik da budu izopšteni iz društva. Nekada ga je njegova visina dovodila u opasnost da postane dete vojnik. Sada mu ta visina daje snagu da pomogne drugima da se osećaju bezbedno.
Now that he is an adult, Edson trains refugee children and others at risk of being excluded from society. Once, his height put him in danger of becoming a child soldier. Now, his height gives him strength to help others feel safe.
LIDA Portugal
Sunniva Høiby-Øiset
Jelena Ličina
Marina Matić
Serbo-Croatian
Level 4
