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A WOMAN IN DIRE
STRAITS Budalangi is a rural area of Western Kenya bordering the border with Uganda. To the south, the land dips towards Lake Victoria. I was invited for the trip by Philomena Mashaka who works for the Teenage Mothers & Girls Association of Kenya (TEMAK). We made preparations for our visit to Budalangi on the preceding Friday. Vegetables were bought at the market, enough to feed 6 homes we planned on visiting. We shopped for sweets and balloons for children there and we took enough water for a two day visit. Saturday
25th September The trip was off at a good start as we had good weather and the main road was in good condition. After a police check on the main road to Busia we took a left hand turn and this is where the jeep became essential. Soon after, we crossed the infamous River Nzoia, which causes flooding in Budalangi and leaves many people homeless. Luckily there was no flooding at the time but evidence was still there in the form of plastic sheeting that covered what once were houses. Hopefully the dyke that the National Youth Service is working on will prevent this disastrous flooding in future. The numbers of children alongside the road, whom Philomena pointed out as orphans, were staggering. Besides them I saw old ladies and men in pin-striped suits and hats. After questioning their somewhat odd and misplaced appearance in the hot sun, I learned that these were religious people. Finally, after about 2½ hours we arrived in Budalangi. We stopped at a house where an orphan boy used to live before Philomena took him under her wing about two years ago. Unfortunately, the old man he used to live with was not at home. What we found were the sad reminders; graves of his parents and the empty houses they used to occupy. So many people are left homeless. I learnt that only family members have a right to occupy these houses. On many plots of land I saw the same scene of more graves than houses. The graves are somber - no more than a pile of sand surrounded by stones. The first lady we met used to live in a hut made out of grass. The house burnt down and left the lady with burns on her back and neck. We couldn't reach her house by car because her land was grabbed by neighbours after her children passed away. The house TEMAK built for her was immaculate as was the little patch of ground where she neatly grew vegetables. Philomena, who supports her with food, consoled her, saying she didn't need all that land to feed herself. TEMAK is training her grandchild at the moment. She might be able to pay for the mattress her grandmother asked for. The next lady we went to visit was Mrs. Aloo who is neglected by her neighbours. When Philomena first visited her, Mrs. Aloo lived under a huge Tamarind tree that only provided shelter if it rained. She was ill by then and Philomena spent two days in hospital with her. On their return a house was built for her with a tin roof and a mattress. Later she probably developed diabetes, which left her blind. According to the doctors this might be reversible if she ate wholesome foods. But the lady wonders where she will get the money to buy more expensive food and who will support her in this. Philomena remembers Mrs. Aloo from her youth as a big, strong woman but now she's extremely skinny. Mrs. Aloo said that whenever she bumps into something it leaves her with pain all over her body. We wanted to leave behind some food for her but she said was pointless. "As soon as you leave and I ask my neighbours to cook for me they will take it all and give me a very small portion," she explained. That's why we stayed on longer than planned to cook for her. We promised to return next day to clean her house, clothes, blanket and to bath her. Mrs. Aloo's clothes (read: rags) were last washed 7 months ago, on Philomena's last visit. She bathed a month ago when enough water dripped from her roof into a stone pot at the back of her house. She also has to deal with people stealing things from her, taking advantage of/ abusing her blindness. Therefore she keeps her clothes under her pillow and her knives wrapped in plastic bags under her mattress. She doesn't dare using the mosquito net given to her by a relief-agency. She can't knot it up and if she leaves it down she's afraid that it will catch fire. She's been bitten by ants all over her body, they lurk in hideous numbers under her urine soaked mattress. After feeding her we left at dusk for home. Sunday 26th September
04 We then went back to Mrs. Aloo to do the washing. On arrival we started by emptying her house and placing her in the shadow of a tree. The children cleaned the empty house and one girl cooked a meal for her whilst Philomena and I washed her clothes and blankets. The neighbours were watching us (in their eyes a city lady and a white doing the dirty work) and started making comments like; "you can do that much better in the lake and you can't get those clean again." What they were really after, I let myself explain, was money so they would do a shoddy job. When we didn't pay them any attention they quickly disappeared. After lunch we returned to Mrs. Aloo to bring in the last of the dried clothes. We took our time saying goodbye. One of the children asked me for a schoolbag and shoes that they all need. I explained to her that, by writing this story together with pictures, I hope to raise money to pay for these essential expenses. With my next visit to Budalangi I hope to take with me many schoolbags and shoes. On our way back we agreed that next time would devote all our time to the orphans, throw a party and have lots of fun, I'm already looking forward to it. A special request is being put to you on behalf of Mrs. Aloo for her upkeep and much needed medication. Her health has deteriorated because of her poor living standard, which has left her totally blind and therefore more dependent. However with proper food and medication her situation can be reversed, including retrieving her sight. This would make a great improvement on her living standard whereby she would be able to cook and fetch water herself. She needs about Ksh5000 a month for medication and upkeep. We appeal to you to help her regain her dignity. Contact details of TEMAK are listed below. Account details are as: Teenage Mothers
and Girls Association of Kenya Click here for background information on HIV/Aids in Budalangi. |
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TEENAGE MOTHERS
& GIRLS ASSOCIATION OF KENYA
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