[Contest 2012] Diary of Ivett and Dezső

Date 12 November 2012 Author Zoltán Balogh Category Uncategorised

Diary of Ivett and Dezső

I met Ivett and Dezső in the arrant slum of Verseny street. They live in a flat behind the Eastern Railway Station, Budapest, Hungary. It is mostly known for „arbitrary apartment occupiers”. But only a few people know that the first block of the building is still made up of tenement apartments owned by the local authority and they are in well-managed conditions. Dezső was born here and his whole family is bound to this place, some has lived here for a shorter or longer time. The young couple met in a disco 5 years ago and they are living as arbitrary apartment occupiers in a hole of 2×2 metres without any public utilities in the backyard of this building since then. Both of them is 20 years old, and they are expecting their third child for January, 2012. Their first two children were taken by the Department of Child and Family Services, but they would like to start a new life and keep the newcomer with the help of Child Well-being Center of Erzsébetváros, Budapest. This is a photo essay representing their life, their happiness and their struggle for their baby and to change their life.

Photo descriptions:

19 October, 2011
Dezső and Ivett live in an uncomfortable apartment formed from a common upstairs bathroom. The window and its frame was removed long time ago, only polystyrene insulation protects them from the cold in autumn. Everything is covered with trash, some people simple throw their domestic waste from the balcony to the yard, some people leave their used syringes in the backyard.
17 November, 2011
Dezső has lived his whole life between these rough walls. He does not heve regular income. He does odd jobs and small „troubles” for a living. They will get GYES (Child Care Support in Hungary) after the birth of their third child, but Dezső still has to find a job to start a new life and be able to manage the baby.

22 December, 2012
Christmas is near. The only way to their apartment is through the banister of the mezzanine-floor, because the corridor was walled up to keep away arbitrary ’house occupiers’. Ivett is 8 months pregnant and she easily jumps through the iron banister.

6 January, 2012
With the help of the Child Well-being Center of Erzsébetváros, Budapest, Ivett and Dezső can move into an unoccupied municipal dwelling next to his grand father’s apartment. This room is more comfortable and it is supplied with electricity and water. This clean room is a condition of keeping their new born child.

11 January, 2012
Ivett holds their one day old baby in her arms at the maternity ward of Péterfy hospital. The little boy is healthy and his name is Kristóf.

12 January, 2012
Dezső visits Ivett and Kristóf. They have to stay in the hospital for a while because of Kristóf has an infection.

12 January, 2012
Kristóf and his father, Dezső.

14 January, 2012
Kristóf arrives to Verseny street. The baby and Ivett are welcomed by Dezső’s large family on this cold winter day.

14 January, 2012
Dezső and Ivett are happy to get the chance to try raising Kristóf. Their other two children live with foster parents. They succeed to collect most of the necessary things of a long baby grooming list from donations of civilians, many people offer them baby stuffs not in use.

22 February, 2012
Their family life goes well. The baby is healthy and Dezső probably gets a new job at TESCO.

11 March, 2012
Ivett cuts Dezső’s hair at their apartment on Verseny steet. They decide to move on from here with the help of GYEJÓ (Child Well-being Service) because they have conflicts with his alcoholic grandfather every day, who usually makes the couple’s life intolerable. The couple would like to move to a home for families.

24 March, 2012
The GYEJÓ worker is just on the way to Verseny street to tell Dezső and Ivett that they have a room in a mothers’ home. They find only Ivett and the baby there, because Dezső was taken cuffed up by the police. He is blamed for an older burglary, his friends claims against him. He is placed under preliminary arrest, though he could have start at his new workplace within a week.

6 April, 2012
Dezső gets 30 days in prison on Venyige street, Ivett has to move on. Her life is getting worse on Verseny street, therefor GYEJÓ found them a shelter in a mothers’ home in Érd. She is on the way home from the interview, where she was promised that she and Kristóf would be taken in as soon as a place would be freed.

17 April, 2012
Kristóf grows like a „mushroom”. Ivett’s breast milk runs dry because of the stress. The baby weighs 6 kilos, he is really as hard as nails. He needs infant nutrition, Ivett can only assure it by donations. The charity package also contains new baby clothings and diapers.

19 April, 2012
Good news comes. Ivett and Kristóf can be taken into a mothers’ home in Érd. After many vicissitudes, the family leave behind the Verseny street.

19 April, 2012
Ivett moves into the mothers’ home, in Érd. She never would like to return to Verseny steet. Here she can come through this hard period, until Dezső’s case goes to triel and he is released. Meanwhile Dezső serves 90 days in preliminary arrest.