2013 - Kenya - Garbatulla (Action Aid)

[Article from field-worker]




This is Garba Tulla, a community I know well. Over the last few years, I've seen villagers like Zainabu lose everything. And seen their determination to pick themselves up and rebuild their lives. All they want is the chance to help themselves.

This is Zainabu Kamato. I don't think I've ever known a stronger-spirited woman. Despite losing everything, she's doing all she can to look after her family and build a better future for her six children. Just having enough to eat is a struggle. Zainabu told me, "It's hard to secure enough food for everyone in the family. I try to make it last a week but it's tough."

Zainabu and her fellow women farmers have tried to grow some crops but without water they are struggling. "If we finish the waterpan, I can grow vegetables to eat, I can earn money and the children can go to school. I can work and take control of my life again."


This is Zainabu with her eldest daughters inside their home. Her daughters Ralia and Mumina no longer go to school because Zainabu can't pay the fees.
Her daughters dream of a better future - Ralia wants to be a doctor and her oldest, Mumina wants to be a nurse.


Finding water is a struggle for everyone in Garba Tulla. On Tuesdays, Zainabu spends half her day walking to buy water. "I try to make it last a whole week, but it is tough and even water is hard to afford. It is an empty feeling, when I cannot give my children enough food. I tell them, that things will get better and maybe they believe me. We must always hope for the better."

PHOTOS: KATE HOLT/ACTIONAID

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

2013 – Peru - Gregorio Manuel (Kiva)

 

Gregorio is a 35-year old man. His lives in Chincha with his wife and their three children. Gregorio is very hard-working and enthusiastic. He dedicates all of his energy toward getting his family ahead. Unfortunately, due to a lack of financial resources and the need to start working, Gregorio wasn't able to study at the university level.
Gregorio started working, on his own initiative, as a laborer on a local farm. He works every day for approximately ten hours. He believes work is going well for him because of his dedication and hard work.
Gregorio is very grateful for the Kiva lenders; thanks to the help they are offering, he will be able to make some improvements to his dwelling. Gregorio wants to paint, plaster and put a floor down in his children's room. Gregorio will continue to work and put forth the effort needed to make his greatest dream come true- to see his children become solid professionals.

2013 - Malawi - Neli Namuhango

December 2013
Dear Supporter,

I am so happy to share with you how your support of ActionAid and The Next Step in Malawi has saved our lives. My family has enough food to eat and my children are getting an education.

My name is Neli Namuhango. I'm 41-years-old and married with five children; Mackenzie, Chikondi, Angeka, Leah, and Jack. I also look after my late brother's son, Joseph.

We live in Nkhataby village,  15km north of Mzuzu city in northern Malawi. We are farmers. We grow maize and cassava. Maize is our staple food,  it is the staple food of Malawi, but in our area we use cassava as a back-up if we run short of maize.

Life used to be hard. We struggled to grow enough crops to feed our family and send our children to school. The reason we struggled was because we could not afford to buy good seeds or fertiliser. Fertiliser is 20,773 kwacha  [£31]  for a 50kg bag; much too expensive for poor farmers like us.  Even though we toiled hard in our gardens, our harvests were always poor.

There were always food shortages at home. Our maize would only last us for four months and we tried our best to survive on cassava,  but it was hard and often we would only have one meal a day.  It was especially hard for my children,  who were not doing well at school. At times,  they missed three days a week of school. The older ones would spend their time looking for work so they could get something to eat. Because they did not have enough to eat,  their health was not good.  They were often sick.This was worrisome as there was no future for my children.

But thanks to your support of ActionAid,  I was one of 320 women who received training and support to improve our economic activities.  I received 41,446 kwacha [£61] to buy fertiliser and seeds, and I received some business training. After just three years my life has changed and I can provide enough food to feed my family all-year-round.  I used to harvest a maximum of seven bags of maize but now I harvest more than 35 bags.  I can also sell a few bags and pay school
fees for my children,  as well as their clothes and books. As well as making a success of my farming business, I am also rearing and selling chickens.

I have more hope now. My children no longer miss school. They are all performing very well and they are all healthy. We have even built ourselves a better house and there is a big sense of peace in my family.

My life, and that of many others, has changed.  I am very thankful for the support and training,  which your support of ActionAid gave us. Thank you.

Neli Namuhango

P.S.  I have sent you two photos of me with my healthy, happy children. I hope you like them.