‘Thank you so much for this gift’, says Karanja, grandmother

 

It was over a year ago when we rescued Joseph Karanja.  He looked weak and sickly, but very happy to be going home. He was excited to be served ‘real’ food and sleep in a comfortable bed, after sleeping on the streets for months. He had a persistent cough at night and we assumed it may have been caused by exposure to cold or allergy while on the streets and so we bought him antihistamine tablets.  

The journey home was smooth and but there was no one to welcome us home.  Some kind neighbours quickly offered to send a child to go fetch Karanja’s grandmother.  The joy of having her grandson back home was evident.  She said that she’d been Karanja’s guardian since he was three when his mother died of HIV/AIDS.  She added that Karanja had the same condition and that’s one of the reasons why she was worried about his disappearance to the streets.

We visited Karanja recently to check how he was doing. The great news is that he is back to school. His teachers say he is changed and working hard. Karanja is focused on his future but he expressed his challenge of living in a small and dusty house.  They needed a room for him. Together with our partners, they now have a three bed-room house. Karanja’s family lived in the mud built house to the right…. but they recently moved to this…Lifting their reproach and shame in the community.

Thank you so much for this gift, says Karanja’s family.  With partnership we go further.