Murang'a family gets new house after girl's plea

Four months ago, a desperate Standard 3 pupil from Kahuro subcounty in Murang’a approached her teacher and pleaded for help.

The nine-year-old said learning had become extremely difficult due to the deplorable conditions at home. She was on the brink of dropping out of school.

Ann Njeri told her class teacher in February that the house they lived in was caving in.

The roof leaked and the family had to collect water inside the house in buckets when it rained. They were also going to bed hungry.

Her father works in a quarry and drinks too much while her mother is sickly.

Njeri, the last born in a family of six from Karichiungu village, shared their two rooms with her parents and five siblings.

The house also accommodated a dairy goat that provides the family with milk.

The teachers approached a well-wisher and asked for help.

Karanja Mburu, a director at the Lappset Authority swung into action and provided them with food as he assessed their living conditions.

George Gathuru, a member of the Karanja Mburu Foundation said they were shocked by the state of the family’s home. Part of the earthen floor had puddles of water.

Gathuru's team set to work and built a new three-roomed permanent house for the family. They also supplied furniture and bedding.

The family has also been receiving foodstuffs from the well-wisher regularly.

Thomas Gacheru, a teacher at Karingu Primary School said that the children performed poorly due to their frequent absenteeism. 

Gacheru said they sometimes attended school on empty stomachs and that the girl had exposed the abject poverty facing her family.

“It can be very difficult to learn when hungry and spending sleepless nights due to the leaky house,” he said. 

He hoped that with their improved situation, the children will now perform better at school.

Njeri’s elder sister, a Standard 8 pupil had had to live with a neighbour to focus on her studies.

Joyce Gituto, her aunt, said the family depends on well-wishers for food and clothing.

Gituto said the entire village was celebrating becasue of the new house. 

“Sometime when it rained, they spent nights standing near the door where the roof did not leak,” she added.

Gituto said she has been acting as the children’s second guardian and that she realised that they dropped out of school due to poverty.

“They did not have anywhere to do their homework and no lantern to light their house at night,” she added.

The foundation has constructed seven other homes in the subcounty.

(edited by o. owino)