The grandmother's story

Victor and Joy meet a grandmother who lives in the slums in Burabura in Kenya, with her grandchildren and an adopted child.

Thousands of children living in the slums are orphans, having lost parents to diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera, HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Life is hard in the slums and this lady is among thousands of others without clean drinking water, healthcare, electricity and a sewage system.

Kenya's slums

Over 3.5 million people live in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city.  Two thirds live in slum areas and the number will continue to grow as more and more people from rural areas are drawn to the cities.  Some come from neighbouring countries during times of political unrest and violence, looking for a safe place to live.  This adds to the sanitation problems and increases the likelihood of disease and poverty.

A sorrowful journey, but it was a strong women who took it

Grandmother’s journey to the slums in Burabura began when her father left her mother and re-married in Tanzania. As a young girl, she was forced to marry a man much older than herself. So she ran away, back to Kenya, where she is today.  She dreams of being independent and earning money for herself and her family; she dreams of her grandchildren being able to study abroad and leading a good and happy life.