Tragedy of loneliness

This is the state in which the staff of the feeding center met the girls: next to a 2 x 2 m mud hut, the two younger girls preparing something to eat in the wood-fire, the older one collecting water to supply the family. The family: the three girls -none over 5 years old- and the almost blind grandma.

Let me warn you, none of my words collected here will be able to approach you to such a powerful story. What we saw when we entered the house was a neat place, with an old gentle woman sitting in an armchair, her sight lost in the distance, her hands soft and lovingly holding ours while welcoming us. Two of the girls in a line behind the armchair, silent and shyly smiley. The smaller one sat very fondly on her grandma's lap. One could breath some sort of calmness in the house, it may have been their strength making reality seem light and slow.

Mama R, the grandma, could not tell us her age, maybe forgotten, maybe never counted. It had already been two years since her eyes stopped watching the Kenyan landscapes, her grandchildren growing. Her arms were also soft and wrinkled, her body small and stooped. The girls used to take her for a walk during the day to feel the sun... the air; they gave her love and cared for the house. When we were about to leave to the feeding centre, they started taking their belongings inside to avoid them being taken while being away. They do the washing, collect wood, collect water... No one forces them in the morning when they go to school to learn English, Kiswahili, maths... and still they love it! At school they are also taught traditional songs and dances, which they showed to us at the centre in big smiles and jumps.

Orphan of dad, their mum run away and left her kids behind with their grandmother, who is unable to provide them with any food or care. The feeding center supplies the kids with breakfast and lunch; as basic as it sounds, it ensures that the kids have an effective education, attending to school over an empty stomach is not of much use. In the case of the girls, the staff keep small amounts of food for them to give Mama R at night -this is generally her only intake during the day, which she shares with her grandchildren when they come back. The house in which they live now -typical Kenyan with walls made of mud, and in this case a corrugated iron roof- was newly built by some volunteers who were horrified by how they were surviving. Mama R was also given a radio which she enjoys in the lonely hot days.

The situation of the family seems like a tragedy to our western eyes, however orphanage in Kenya is very common and we would ask them about it in an open way. This does not mean that the kids do not suffer of lack of love, attention, healthcare, food... the situation is tough and we all came back with our heart broken and a sensation of emptiness in our stomachs. Children grow up fast in Kenya, they run the fields, find their way out... and sometimes also cry. Giving an opportunity for them to get educated healthily, is a vital first step in their lives. One would never think a plate of food could make such a difference... In the case of Mama R's grandchildren and many other kids in the feeding centre, it fills stomachs, prepares brains to learn, provides a community for them to belong to, puts big smiles in their faces...