We had a lady come and visit this week called Justine (3) because I have now three friends in the village called Justine. She is mid 30’s is a widow and has 5 children aged 10 down to 5 months and lives in a mud hut, lucky to be 3m x 3m. She has a support on poles for a kitchen and seems to work tirelessly to look after, feed and clothe her children.
This morning we saw the whole family do around 4 loads of grass around 400m back to her house which is going to be used to rethatch the roof of her hut. She came to us to see if she could borrow some money to pay the man so that the roof could be done before the rain came again. The total cost – Ush 5,000 – approx nz$4!! As she was still waiting to get her pay from the weeding she had done for the man overseeing the grass on the SOS property.
Deane said we were happy to give her the money and wouldn’t expect it repaid. Hardly going to break our budget!!!
She weeds while the older children are at school, and has a toddler next to her with a baby on her back also. Then goes home when the children get home from school, around 1pm. She raises pigs and chickens (hatched from eggs) for “Commercial” purposes so that she can raise the money for food and school fees. Amazing lady and I now have someone else to go and visit each time we go to the village.
As much as the language is a barrier, it is OK and we manage with hand signals and the village ladies are actually keen to learn a few of the English words too, so they are fumbling along as much as I do.