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Lenten Stories: Week 4

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Reaching out to HIV and AIDS-affected families in Kenya

“I want to go back and live with my sister and brother. I miss them everyday”, explained Monicah Kavenge. This philosophy of keeping families together is the cornerstone of the inspiring work that is being conducted by Pendekezo Letu in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi.

Pendekezo Letu is translated directly to mean ‘give us our choice’ and this small but powerful organisation, through the support of Caritas Australia, is giving hope and providing options to some of the most vulnerable children and families in urban slum settlements.

Monicah Kavenge’s mother passed away in 2003, leaving her and two siblings in the care of her stepfather.
A brutal man, he unleashed callous and sustained abuse on the three children. Monicah’s eldest sister fled and finally found refuge at Kilimambogo Catholic Hospital.

Meanwhile Monicah and her brother had remained in the care of the abusive step-father. Their constant abuse continued until Monicah also fled to Kilimambogo hospital. Here Monicah came to the attention of Pendekezo Letu and was enrolled in the Ngoliba school.

Pendekezo Letu were then able to rescue Monicah’s brother who was found to have contracted HIV.
Despite being heavily traumatised, intensive counselling at Pendekezo Letu’s school outside Nairobi in Ngoliba has already made a great difference to this resilient young woman.

Pendekezo Letu’s holistic philosophy is based on the concept of supporting families to enable them to thrive by providing livelihood alternatives. Through this method of helping individuals in every area of their lives and in turn supporting the family structures around them, they are able to make a real difference and provide sustainable solutions to life on the streets and hence an escape from extreme poverty.

Pendekezo Letu works in some of the most vulnerable communities in Kenya, in the slums of Nairobi and with victims of violence and sexual abuse. By establishing a school, providing education, giving counselling, training for life skills, providing micro loans and supporting all this with free legal aid for children who are caught up in the Kenyan legal system who otherwise would not have access to legal counsel.

Monicah’s eldest sister now has a young daughter. A loan from Pendekezo Letu and training in sewing has enabled her to establish a small business making and mending clothes. Through this income she has managed to build a house out of mud and wood – incredibly, by her own hand. Monicah is attending school and getting very good marks. Her brother has, through the support of Pendekezo Letu, commenced an anti-retro viral program to tackle his HIV and is also back at school.

“I want to go and live with my sister and her daughter in the house that she has built,” said Monicah.
“I want my brother to be there too. I want us all to live together. When I finish school I want to become a nurse or even a doctor and help people, like we have all been helped.”
Although coming through several years of terrible abuse, now the whole family has hopes for the future.

Your support
Supporting the most vulnerable people in urban centres is crucial to living in a more just world. Through organisations like Pendekezo Letu, Caritas Australia is making a real difference to the lives of individuals, in rebuilding families and in making the world a better place for all. Make a donation to support our work.