Day 9 Mathini, out in the community

20^th September 2010

Walking shoes are on and our bags packed. We have soughted through clothes to take to the family’s we will visit today. First we walk the children to school, it’s Susans first day at school Kally one of the volunteers has sponsored her and bought her school uniform. We take her there to pay her fee’s and speak with the principle. The fee’s for a term and uniform total 1400 shillings ($15AUS approx), it’s very little for us but so much for Susan and these children, their education a major part of their future and their outcome.

We then make our way to Mathini and hitch a ride for a $1 each some of the way down a dirt road, we would normally need to catch a Matatu but are lucky enough to find a ride. We are carrying large heavy bags of clothes and some banana’s and we trek up and down hills and across a rocky river for 2hrs to reach these families. With us is Martha who will translate and assist us in distributing supplies.

The first family we arrive at is a Mother who’s roof has fallen down, she has 4 children her parents live there also. She doesn’t know who the fathers are of her children. Martha explains to us she faints several times per week for half an hour each time and men rape her while she is unconscious. She says this is some sought of disease. I try to establish why she faints and what exactly is wrong and also how these men know when she is unconscious to come and rape her. To me this doesn’t add up and I ask a lot of questions which are translated, I thought if this happening then someone must be advising these men when she faints etc. We finally establish a better story its hard for us to understand the translation, it seems though she is prostituting herself. These men promising to feed her children and give her money and then not doing as they say most of the time. We give her some clothes for her children, food supplies and 2000 shillings which will feed them for the next couple of weeks.

We move on to the next family, a mother lives here alone with her 7 children. They live in a 4sq metre hut, where they cook, eat and sleep. The father lives and works in Naorobi, he visits once every 2 months and brings nothing. He might occasionally bring them food to last one day. The mother goes out to work and earns 100 shillings ($1.30) per day for farming, this doesn’t even feed one meal for the whole family. This was a harsh reality for us, when it rains the family curl up in the corner together the rain pours in through the roof and wets all of their clothes and bedding. They sleep on 2 single beds that barely fit in the room. One child sleeps while we take pictures and discuss what we can do to help. We sit outside with the mother while Martha translates, we give her clothes, $5000 shillings ($60AUS) and food we have bought. Elise and I break down when we hand her our donations, it’s a very emotional time for us. It’s the first time I have cried and I’m sure not the last. This woman, so sweet and so greatful. I can see in her eyes, her beautiful soul and her happiness for what we have given.

We then trek up another mountain to find Felix and check out the construction work that has began today. The family of 9 were found by some past volunteers and the project was started to build them a new house. These people were living one room with no roof. Kally brings the family a 50kg bag of beans and a 50kg bag of maize (corn) this should feed the family for some time. Felix and other volunteers will spend the week here building and we will continue with community work around the area. It’s now 3pm we are all exhausted so we start our 3hr journey back to the orphanage.  Where we will all have a cold bucket shower, eat our beans and maize for dinner and get the children ready for bed J Home sweet home!!