Izzy Wilkes writes…
Today we visited the home of a 16 year old girl called Precious. Her mother had gone to Mozambique and had no intention of coming back home, her father is also absent.
Precious and her 2 younger siblings all attend the Care Point in Mafambisa everyday so that they can be fed. They have to walk 35 minutes from home to attend the Care Point making the round trip over an hour long. Precious’ older sister, who is 26, is looking after her and her siblings alongside her new-born baby. When we arrived at Precious’ house, Audress (who is a male full-time worker with Hands at Work) explained to us how their house was originally old and leaked when it rained. We saw that the walls were made out of plastic tarpaulin, and they were using their neighbours toilet as they didn’t have one of their own. However, the neighbours told them they couldn’t use it anymore. This is when Hands at Work in Africa stepped in. They built a strong, safe and secure brick house with a lockable door and 2 bedrooms. They also built a new, safe, long-drop toilet of their own for the family, meaning they don’t have to rely on their neighbours anymore. The older sister now has the space to grow maize, carrots and onions for the family to share out, saving her money and making sure they have ingredients to cook.
Izzy Wilkes
Stella Richards writes...
Today we spent time in a care worker’s home- Takunda. There was only Takunda and her second youngest daughter present, along with her new-born baby, who was only 25 days old. Their house was a 15-minute walk away from the Care Point and involved crossing many streams, hills and other uneven paths. One of the rivers that her daughter had to cross to get to school had flooded, which meant she had no choice but to stay with her mum for the day. Takunda had four children in total, the eldest being 18, but it was only she who looked after them. The father of the household spent most of his time and money drinking with his friends in the town and refused to spend his pay cheque on baby formula; it was clear he wasn’t as involved with the children as Takunda was. She told us that he’d frequently come home intoxicated, and ‘wouldn’t really care about what he said to them’. Additionally, Takunda mentioned how he had plans of selling the house and moving away from Mafambisa- leaving her with their children. When we asked about where she’d go if that happened, she couldn’t answer. Takunda was struggling with the situation with her home life, but the other women care workers had really helped her talk about her problems and act as a support system for her. The relationships she’s made with the children and fellow workers is guiding her through her thoughts, feelings and worries in such difficult times, as well as assisting others through theirs.
Stella Richards
Isabelle Munnelly writes...
Today, along with Eve and Mr. Leonard, I accompanied Virginia and Dudu (a female Care Worker) on a home visit around which was about 45 minutes walk away from the Care Point in Mafambisa.
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| Walking to a Holy Home Visit today |
The house we arrived at was small, on a larger patch of land surrounded by trees. The Gogo (Grandmother) was sat on a mattress laid underneath a tree. Alongside her was her daughter (25) who was seven months pregnant and had two children already, which she left with the Gogo to be looked after. There were two other children present who she was taking care of. They were from the Gogo’s other daughter. There was also a small baby boy whose father was her 20 year old son, however as he and the mother (15) are still in school the Gogo also takes care of him in the daytime. She explained briefly to Virginia from Hands at Work that she was struggling with looking after all the children: things like feeding the baby were especially difficult tasks as the mother couldn’t afford more baby formula with little money coming in from the father, who does piece work (casual labour) after school already to try and provide income; the mother herself wasn’t eating well enough to provide breast milk. The description of the situation put into perspective the reality of what these children and their primary care givers are coping with, despite all of this, the greeting we got from the Gogo and her family was so welcoming and those who hadn’t heard her story would underestimate how much she was struggling due to the hospitality and strength she displayed, with little complaints and full acceptance of all her grandchildren.
Isabelle Munnelly
Back at the Care Point there was food to be served, children waiting for people to play along with ... All in all, a good day with lots to think about and learn
Isabelle Munnelly
Back at the Care Point there was food to be served, children waiting for people to play along with ... All in all, a good day with lots to think about and learn
