Leila and I have been spending a lot of time in Shimo and have gotten to know a few families very well. It’s hard to go visit kids and their families and leave not knowing when their next meal will be. With the cost of food on the rise the families who were already struggling to put food on the table are struggling even more. So we decided to help in the small way that we can and bring a few families that we know are struggling the most a little bit of maize each week. 

Henry and Peter’s mother, Salome just died last month. Their father was struggling to provide for them then and is still struggling now. They get one meal a day when they go to a school in Shimo. This school is similar to Oasis of Hope, but caters to younger children that live in Shimo and was started by a group from Ukraine. Other than their one meal a day from school there is never any food in the home. 

Henry bringing the maize into the house

Peter

Henry

              Margaret and Elizabeth get one meal a day. Margaret gets lunch at Oasis of Hope and Elizabeth gets lunch at the Ukrainian School. Stevo is too young to walk to the school where Elizabeth goes. So he just sits around the house all day. We think the neighbors feel sorry for him and give him lunch from time to time. He lives with his grandmother and his aunts, Margaret and Elizabeth. His mother moved to Nairobi and left him there. His grandmother struggles to provide food for all of them. 

Elizabeth and Margaret

Stevo and his grandmother

Stevo eating some Plumpy Nut.

 Franco and Dorcas are in the same boat as all of the other kids. They go to the Ukrainian school, but have no food to eat at home. Despite how hungry they are, Franco and Dorcas always have the biggest smile on their faces and are such a happy kids. It’s heartbreaking that these kids are in this situation with their parents who refuse to work to improve their family’s situation.

Ester with Franco and Dorcas

Augustus lives with his aunt, Gladys and his cousin Mercy. Gladys is a widow and is HIV+. She used to sell food to provide for her family, but once people found out about her HIV status her business failed because people stopped buying from her. People like Gladys are so stigmatized by other people in their community that they often cannot get out of their situation because finding work is nearly impossible. Augustus is a total orphan and was in very bad shape when Gladys took him in. Now, he and Mercy go to Oasis everyday and he is doing much better. 

Agustus

The food we give is not a lot, but at least we know that a couple of nights a week these kids have a little something in their stomachs and can sleep a little easier.