Q&A

Q&A sounds very harmless. But at times I am really afraid of my own questions and even more so of the answers. Today was such a day. After the NRHS gave me a lift to Siaya, the project-coordinator and I drove to Mbaga Girls', where TaC sponsors two young ladies. The deputy talked to us and urged us to sponsor a third girl at their school, a pathetic case, as she puts it. I agreed to at least talk to that girl. The girl is a total orphan, an aunt, who is a widow and a mother of four herself, took her in. The girl is very well performing at school and until last year, an uncle paid her fees. However, he suddenly stopped paying and moved away. He is not even picking the phone when she tries to reach him. The girl has a younger sister, but hasn't seen her for over 4 years, as she was taken in by an uncle in a remote place.
Those questions are already quite tough on the children, as they have to go through their losses with me. I then normally ask about how the guardian generates income and where the children spend their time off school. Turns out that this aunt, who is by now very sick and bedridden, brews and sells alcohol in her house. I get quite alerted and ask who uses to consume that alcohol. The girl says, that there are always drunken men at home, i.e. the customers. I then want to know where exactly she sleeps, while she is at her aunt's place. Well, there is no choice, as there is only one room. By now, I am horribly uneasy. I try to find out from the girl how those men behave towards her. After a while of me going round in circles, she simply says: there is no way they would leave me alone...
The only thing I can do for this girl right now is to tell her, never to lose hope. I kindly remind her that there is a way out and that this way is called education.
A story like this can have two effects: it either really depresses you or it does the contrary. I'd always opt for the contrary. Carry on!