“The beggars wanted to use her for their own benefits,” reported Moses Khombe, the Communication Director for Blessings Hospital when young Lekelina was brought to the village from the Minister of Gender for Malawi. If that was not enough he added more to the report. “The girl might have been abused by this so called uncle, and she is a double orphan with no known relative both in Zomba and Lilongwe. Her blind parents had came to Lilongwe sometime back and they have been on the street ever since.”
Lekilena was born to a blind street beggar known as Ellena. Her mother passed away in 2000 when she was only months old. Her father was also a street beggar and his whereabouts is unknown.
Living Under a Bridge
After the death of the mother she was placed in the hands of a grandmother who was also a blind beggar. The Regional Social Welfare Office tried to take the child after the death of the mother but failed because the grandmother refused. It appeared that she was using young Lekilena as a shield for her begging in order to gain sympathy. Lekilena and her grandmother were living under a bridge in the Old Town portion of the capital city.
The grandmother passed away leaving little Lekilena in the hands of a man who called himself her uncle, though it appears there was no relationship. He was apparently using her in his begging.
Abandoned to the Street
Due to lack of care the child was abandoned in the street. A businessman found her, cleaned her up and contacted the Regional Social Welfare in Lilongwe. The Minister of Gender contacted Mtendere so she could be cared for and raised properly.
Today Lekilena lives a happy life with the other children at Mtendere and is enrolled in the public school in Lumbadzi. The pictures show Lekilena shortly after her arrival at Blessings and gain several months later.
The children of Mtendere Village are supported through contributions to the 100-X Missions Group in Montgomery, Alabama. For further information about assisting children at Mtendere contact 100-X Missions Group