The Muroemba family, Mozambique
Tsitsi Muroemba
Every day we walk together to the school through the bush. It is a long way and I arrive at school very tired. My dream is to finish school so that I can get work and help the others. I would like to see all my brothers able to get jobs and look after themselves.
Life is difficult as an orphan. My grandfather is trying his level best, but it is difficult for us to get clothes. He has to work in his field until harvest, and then he can take part of his produce and sell it. But it is difficult for him to buy enough for us all because we are so many.
Peter Muroemba
I am called Peter Muroemba. I was born in 1947. In my life, I have had eight children and five have died, although some when they were young. I am now looking after such a big family because I had to take the children of my two daughters, as in their families all the parents passed away.
They were both sick for a long time and died because of this new disease. I am suspecting it is true, they died from AIDS, and it is sad because they were young. The first passed away in 2000, then the second in 2003.
It was very difficult for the children when their parents passed away, because they did not know what the future held for them. After one week, I decided to take them, and told them that we were going to stay together. Now that they are living with me, they have forgotten the past and always think of me as the person in charge. At first they really cried. To comfort them I would tell them when people die they never come back again so the only thing you can do is forget the past. If we stay together and work together the crying period will shorten.
It was also hard for me when they died because I am the one who gave birth to them. I was even thinking that I should take poison and die myself. I was questioning myself. What was happening in my life? Why am I the one who God has chosen for such problems? But I decided I am the only one who can be looking after their children so I must be strong. It is a big responsibility, but I have no choice. Now I am used to it and I no longer think about these questions.
I have some fields and what I produce normally is for subsistence. I sell some of my maize to buy clothes for them and to have something in case they get sick and I have to take them to the hospital. Sometimes I am forced to sell a chicken or maybe a goat, and from there I distribute the money to help the children. There are 11 orphans that I am responsible for; seven from the one daughter and four from the other. The older boys are not here now as they are out taking care of my cattle.
We do get some help from ANDA. We get food- soya mix, beans, maize and cooking oil. There is a certain saying, traditionally, that whatever you are offered, you should not complain. You cannot say if it is enough or not, but normally my feeling is that they should eat some more.
My hope is that I can still live a long time so that I can prepare them all for the future, so that they can sustain themselves. I can see that if I die early they are going to suffer.
