Mwanamwinyi

There are some moments in life when suddenly everything makes sense and you know exactly what you’re supposed to do.

After leaving Maai Mahiu and arriving in Nairobi, I suddenly got word that a few incredibly generous donors had decided to donate some money to my cause. With the amount in my head I knew exactly what I was supposed to do. The next day Trever and I hopped on a bus back to Mombasa to begin the search for a school to put Mwanamwinyi in.

A little refresher: Mwanamwinyi’s father died of AIDS when she was very young and her confused/irresponsible mother left her with her step-grandmother. After the step-grandmother passed away, Mwanamwinyi was alone, for an uncertain amount of time, until one day she knocked on the door of a random, older woman, also by the name of Mwanamwinyi (M). Having a common name was sign enough for big M to take little Mwanamwinyi in. Her mother would eventually return to visit but every time she did, Mwanamwinyi would flinch and run away from her. The mother has been absent from little M’s life for the past two years and no one knows where she is or if she is alive.

So fast forward to now. Mwanamwinyi is HIV positive and she has no idea. She takes her medications every day but wonders what she is taking them for and when she will get better enough that she won’t need to take them anymore. She is also suffering from rapid weight loss (weighs only 11kg) and a persistent cough that is very TB like. Another issue is that she has already had TB in the past however, the medications were not taken for the full 6 months, probably due to all the displacements in her life. With a new case of TB, everyone worries it may be multi drug resistant. Another challenge to add to her already lengthy list.

I fell in love with Mwanamwinyi the day I met her. She is so strong despite all the hardships she has encountered in her 11 years. She has a beautiful smile and wants what every other child wants; the chance to go to school, to play outside without losing energy, the warmth of an embrace.

When Trever and I went to visit Mwanamwinyi she immediately connected with us. She wouldn’t let go of our hands or if given the chance, all she wanted to do was sit on my lap, pushing her little head into the curvature of my neck. This girl is filled with so much love and has so many experience awaiting her. It was meant to be that we crossed paths.

We visited two schools. One boarding school that made me sick to my stomach. At the time it was really our only choice which made me feel even more miserable. Dreary walls, dirty toilets, ungroomed kids, unfriendly staff… I knew Mwanamwinyi would get lost in the sea of kids.

The second school was a dream; a private school located minutes away from her home and it had all the amenities we wanted. Clean bathrooms, a beautiful open layout, colorful classrooms (red, blue, green!), a private chef, mango and cashew trees on the playground, German and computer lessons, AND a van that would pick her up and drop her off at her home, everyday. The director was also sensitive to her case and understood the implications of having an HIV+ child. Seriously, everything felt so right.

She is to start school this January at Fumathoka Primary School. The time gives her exactly five months to recover from TB and gain enough strength to handle the long days. Her ARVs were also changed with the hope that she will begin to gain weight.

She was so excited and happy when we told her she would be going to school just like her friends! I will never forget her shy smile and the way she just held my hand.

Sometimes everything in life works out exactly the way it is supposed to and it is up to us to realize those times.

Random Fact of the Day:

Putting M through school requires about $200/year. Please know that there are many, many more children besides M that want to go to school. I have personally met these kids and I know how much they desire something as basic as an education. Please contact me if you would like to help sponsor a child.