Huge thanks to everyone who sent support for the families whose slum homes were burned down in an arson attack recently. One of the huts was home to a Child of Hope pupil and we ended up moving the family into a different home as they had no money.
Mum Mary had been on our IGA (business start-up) programme but was one of the rare cases where it didn’t work for her. She and her family had remained very poor, with no savings for a disaster like this, and with considerable social problems. They have no other family to help them. There are six people staying together… Mum, grandma and four children.
So, Child of Hope stepped in and arranged for them to move to a house which couldn’t be burnt (it has an iron sheet roof). It is still very meagre (local bricks held together with mud, with a mud floor inside), but at least they are safe there and it’s just one minute walk from the school.
In addition to paying the first three months rent for this small rented property, we also bought some housekeeping essentials – jerry cans for carrying water, basins for bathing/washing, sigiri charcoal stove, saucepans, bed sheets for the one mattress they all share and some food to get them going.
This family is very vulnerable and with no official welfare or social service system to support them, they would be lost without external help from COH. It is likely that in order to keep them safe, we may have to continue paying their rent (£8 per month). This is a rare exception – normally we would ensure the family can start to get onto their feet so that they can look after themselves.