Sixty-two-year-old Mayi Celine had two married sons, each with three sons. She and her sons’ families all lived close to each other in rural Kenya. The African culture dictates that when your husband dies, your sons take care of you. Mayi had lived with her oldest son’s family.
The eldest son, John, became quite ill. There are so many diseases in Africa that death is as close as your shadow. Malaria, typhoid, and dengue are all fevers that kill thousands each year, plus there are many others too numerous to name. The African people who live in rural areas never talk about being HIV+. They think if you die of AIDS, no one will care for your children for fear they will bring the disease to their family.
John’s illness turned out to be AIDS. He died a few weeks after getting sick. His brother took over the responsibility of caring for John’s wife, children, and their mother. Unknowingly, John had passed the HIV+ disease to his wife. A month after his burial, she became very sick and died eight weeks later.
Two months later, John’s brother, Alfred, became sick. He had contracted the AIDS virus through contact with his sister-in-law. Not knowing what caused his illness, he infected his wife. Both he and his wife died during the following six months.
There was no one left but sixty-two-year-old Mayi Celine and her six grandkids, all eight years old and younger. She had no way to make money to feed the kids—no job, no retirement, no job skills. All she could do was beg for money on the dirt road leading to her village.
When I heard of the K4K feeding center, I had hope that my new family could make it.
Someone stopped to give her 100 shillings (worth about 80 cents) and heard the details of her situation. He began to share with her about a feeding program called “Kare for Kids in Africa” (K4K).
Mayi asked what she needed to do to get food. He told her just to show up with the kids on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and they would give each a meal of rice and beans. He said that they feed over 150 children there three days a week. As he walked away, he added, “They would love to help you.”
Now, ten years later, Mayi’s eldest grandson is eighteen years old and works at a local farm with his brother. Mayi, now seventy-two, gives credit to K4K that none of her grandchildren starved to death and have lived healthy lives.
