Blog
It is exactly 6 months since they lost their mother through death. She was the only known parent to them and hence leaving the home headed by a child. They continued with schooling but only for a while before they were all sent home due to lack of provisions. Life turned a jungle to live for survival. They have gone through all manner of struggles from finding food, what to wear, what would happen if they got sick, where to get school fees…! After the burial of their Mom, all the relatives lefts hurriedly and none suggested to take them in. The only hope they had was to their grandmother but she was sickly and they did not want to be a burden to her. So they thought.
“My 14-year-old brother and I had to step up and become parents to our three younger and that is how life on the streets begun. It has never been the same since our mom died. Life on the streets has been risky. One time we were sheltering in a market during floods and my sister almost got swept away. We tried to get into a building for shelter, but the watchman chased us away. Everything seemed to be against us. I miss my Mom and this has broken my tears many time trying to call her name but no answer.”
During our outreach work on the streets, we found them. It’s not obvious to find siblings on the streets unless it is due to critical issues and this is the case of Patrick and his siblings. They presented a case of children who needed care and protection. After their rescue, they were first committed to a children’s court for their families to be traced. And there we found their grandmother. She gladly offered to take them in no matter her challenges.
We later met with their grandmother who though seemingly elderly, her firm voice communicated care for her grandchildren. She was joyous to receive them back after several months on the street in search of a better life.
She narrated her struggles since her daughter died and she showed the team some medical documents explaining how she had been unwell and was on medication.
“Handling my daughter’s demise was truly heart wrenching…but finding my grandchildren has filled me with great hope. One thing I would plead of you, is to help me settle them here. I have nothing much to offer and my house is small but we shall all fit in.” said the grandmother.
Church Support
TKW team met with their a church elder who said:
“I have known this family for a while and their troubles have been great. We have encouraged the grandmother to keep up her resilience in ensuring that the children are taken care of as well as in the ways of God and do participate in church activities”.
Patrick and his siblings are home today and we would be doing the first home visit in two weeks. We organized with the grandmother to find a school nearby and inform us of the requirements. She did that and the children were facilitated back to school. We also had a call with their teacher and agreed to support them. However, this grandmother needs support to care for her grandchildren, and to make sure they all settle at home and in school.
They need food, they need school fees paid termly, they need clothing and they need adequate shelter.
Please join us in restoring this family. Your gifts and donations of will go a long way in meeting the needs of food for these children, their school requirements settled and their lives will never be the same again
