Caring for ten children

John with two of his children and the family goat [CAFOD]

By the year 2010, one in ten children in sub-Saharan Africa will have lost at least one parent to AIDS. Grandparents - such as Turira and John - often face the task of caring for these children

As you approach Turira and John's home in Kirai, Kenya, you are greeted by a sea of smiling faces.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this was the local primary school. In fact, the ten children all belong to Turira and John.

The couple have four girls, three of whom have learning disabilities and six grandchildren from two daughters who have died from AIDS-related illnesses. In addition to these children there is also a great grandchild living with them.

Positive outlook

It is very hard for Turira and John to be guardians for all the children at their age. Both in their late 50s, they are already older than the average life expectancy in Kenya.

Turira says “It took a lot of time to create good relationships and to bring all the children to love together as one family and understand each other".

Despite the challenges and difficulties they have faced, and still face, the family is very positive. The children are keen to talk about their futures.

Pauline, who is 14, likes playing football and netball and wants to be a nurse one day; Eliud who is 15 and wants to be a pilot; and John who is 9 and wants to be a truck driver.

John and Turiro (centre) with their extended family and Sister Mary (far right) in the garden of their home [CAFOD]

This ability to have a positive outlook is in large part due to the help the family receive from the Assumption Sisters in Thika (one of CAFOD’s local partners in Kenya).

The organisation supports carers like Turira and John who find themselves bringing up and caring for a family second time round in old age.

Seeds for the future

Support from the Assumption Sisters includes providing seeds and fertiliser for families to cultivate small vegetable plots.

Sister Helen of the Assumption Sisters says: “Providing a family with just a small amount of seeds and equipment means they can become self sufficient and healthier.”

John proudly showed the crops the family has grown. “We have already harvested enough beans to make 40 pots” he explains. The family also has a goat, which lives in a run just next to the front door of their home.

With the support of the Assumption Sisters, Turira and John are able to ensure that the children go to Mutuma Primary School each day.

The children have to leave the house at 6am and walk for an hour and a half to get to the school in time for classes. They are not complaining though - it's just how they get to school.

Emotional support

As well as practical assistance, the Assumption Sisters provide emotional support to families through activities such as therapy groups and training community volunteers.

Sister Helen says “An important part of providing support to families is also being able to provide a space for the family members to talk about how they are coping and to express their emotional feelings.

"We provide therapy support groups for men and for women and also for children who have been orphaned. We used to have mixed groups but found that only women went to these!”

Turira’s family situation is not unusual in Kenya, and offers an example of how very few families and communities escape the impact of HIV and AIDS in a country where more than 6% of the population are living with the virus.

But their example also shows how, with the right kind of support, families in the most difficult circumstances can look towards a brighter future.

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