As I visit homes and schools in the central part of Kenya (muranga district), I realize that most of the guardians who the organization support are living below the poverty line. Many guardians are very old and they take care of their grandchildren whom their mother died because of either HIV/Aids or other related diseases. Cases of Grandmothers becoming mothers at their old age are on the rise and it is not that they bear children but their children bear children and then they either are not able to sustain them and in many cases most die due to diseases like HIV.
Most of the family lives in very dilapidated shanty houses which are either built by mud, old timber or very old iron sheet. The rooms are either 1 or 2 which houses a family of about 4-10 members. Sleeping is a major problem for the children, Thanks to Johari foundation who have been providing mattresses to the children. Food is very scarce especially in the dry seasons and Children are forced to adapt a system of one meal per day.
Johari foundation has been filling the gap by provision of food to the children; this has helped the children not to miss school due to hunger. As you move toward the interior, most of the families are unable to get toiletries & hence poor hygiene is observed, as a result of these, the children suffer from diseases related to poor or very low hygiene standards.
There are many children who are infected by jiggers due to dirt. Water is also a bigger problem and most of the families are forced to walk very long distance in search of water. Johari foundation is doing a great work in assisting the families and the children to break the poverty cycle and assist the families to become self reliant.
