AAF Family Sponsorship Program - continued

Dismuss and Sijali:
Mr. Sheba was not at home so we spoke with his eldest son, Dismuss (16). Together, with their father, the three boys live in Njumbuli Village - Sijali (7) and Tawala (11).
Unfortunately their mother passed away a few years ago. Since then Dismuss has been unable to attend school as he is required to look after his siblings and the house while his father cultivates the farm to feed his family. His father grows cassava and maize. Tawala was helping him at the farm.

Dismuss has become the family care giver – cooking, cleaning, collecting water etc. Dismuss is also responsible for checking in on his grandmother once every few days. Dismuss wishes to return to elementary school and continue on to Secondary School in the future.

The Lulenge Family:
Mr. Ali Mohammed is 56 years old. He lives in Dhihimba Village with his wife Salum Samoe (40); his children Abdulai Ali (18), Maruwa Bi Ali (16 year old girl) and Yahya Ali (13). Mr. Lulenge is physically disabled and uses a wheelchair received from the Department of Health in Mtwara. All of his children go to school – Abdulai is in Secondary School, Maruwa and Yahya attend Primary School. In Mtwara it is common for families to do with (even) less to send a child to school. Such is the case with the Lulenge Family as they will not eat until this evening.

He and his wife run a small café in one of the rooms in their home. They sell tea and cooked rice and beans. After all expenses they make $2 per day from their café. Mr. Lulenge would like to have more capital to increase his café business and open a grocery shop selling flour, beans, rice. This would greatly help the entire village as the cost of food (uncooked) would be less expensive. It is also common for the villagers to run out of food altogether. It is also his dream to be able to send all of his children to Secondary School.

Siwengi and Mwijuma:
Mrs. Mwanamkulu Nanyalika is a 75 year old grand mother who looks after two grandchildren left behind by her daughter who passed away. Siwengi is eight years old and Mwijuma is ten years old. In her household Mrs. Nanyalia lives with her eldest son, daughter-in-law and their four children. The total number in the household is 8. The day we visited Grandma Nanyalika she was away at her farm with her eldest son. We interviewed her middle son (who lives nearby). He said that his mother has problems keeping a home with 8 family members and as the grand mother she carries the responsibility of two young grandchildren.


Mr. Bakari Bungala is a 50 year old father of 7 children. he lives with his wife Habiba (40) in Nanguruwe Village. Mr. Bungala’s oldest child is a 27 year old disabled woman (in photo) with who is also pregnant with her first baby.

The other 6 children are under the age of 10. Two children are supposed to attend Primary School however the family can only afford one school uniform. Mr. Bungala is also taking care of one grandson as his mother (his second born daughter) passed away. On the day we visited the family, Mr. Bungala together with all 7 children had gone to the farm with the exception of their eldest daurghter who is mentally and physically challenged. They own a 0.5acre farm in which they grow cassava and maize for the family.