One of the parents of a student has died. Jeffson Ochoki (see picture to the right) is a 5 year old student at Tenderfeet, whose two older brothers had also attended the school. Mama Margaret has known and cared about this family for many years. Both parents were HIV positive. Their father's health has prevented him from working for some time now, and he has basically withdrawn from life, spending most of the time in bed, silently shutting out the world.
Their mother, Jane, had done everything possible to pick up the slack. She worked tirelessly as she struggled to earn enough to pay for rent and groceries. On a good month, she could earn $50-$70 by washing other peoples' clothes in a small washtub and doing other odd jobs she was able to find. With this income, the family might just get by, as long as there were no surprises or emergencies.
Unfortunately, the weather in Nairobi has been cold and damp for months (at almost 6000 ft elevation it often gets quite chilly). This, on top of her HIV, having her hands always in the cold water of washtubs as well as the unsanitary conditions of Kibera, probably led to Jane developing a case of pneumonia.
Because her family didn't have the $30 on hand that it would take to go to the doctor or get medication, her condition got worse and she died in her bed this week. Usually,
when a parent or guardian gets sick, Mama Margaret and the Tenderfeet team (together with Lahash donors) spring into action and make sure the parent or guardian receives proper medical attention. Jacklyn Otieno (who is now much-improved, see picture to the right) is a single mother whose life was recently saved this way. Shadrack's life was also saved through his brain surgery.Time and time again, Tenderfeet has come to the rescue of the desperately ill. Sadly, Margaret was away on school business while school was out on break, and didn't hear about what happened until she got back and it was too late. Our hearts are broken by this cruel and needless loss of life. Now the four children are essentially orphans, since their father is physically and mentally unable to take care of them.
When you think that $30 probably could have saved Jane, it becomes clear how important every donation is. Many donors are already making a huge difference for these children and their community. For more information about getting involved, please email dmitchell@lahash.net.
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