Yamikani Matemba
Zomba, Malawi … For Stevelia Mpandamanja, an elderly grandmother caring for 9 children in Makupete Village (Traditional Authority Chikowi in the south of Malawi), each day starts with preparing for her grandson’s journey to school. As others begin their morning work in the fields, she has a major, added task before she can begin her normal duties. As time ticks away 7:00 AM she picks up her grandson, places him on her back, and begins the 2 kilometer walk to the nearest school. This is how life has been for them for a very long time.
Yamikani Matemba, her grandson has big plans for his future. He has a very strong desire to obtain an education. It is not surprising that when her grandmother cannot carry him to school that he is seen crawling along in the dirt on his way to school. Few who can walk can imagine what it would be like to crawl along the dirt, gravel, or mud-filled paths some 4 kilometers to and from school each day.
The grandmother shares his great passion for education, and she tries as much as possible to take care of all of her grandchildren.
With the new mobility unit Yamikani’s life has changed, and so has life for his elderly grandmother. Watching her grandson able to move about on his own, she smiles as she says, “Now, I am relieved. I can work on other things instead of using so much time each day caring for Yamikani. It was a very tiresome experience, and one that I was unsure how much longer I could manage.”
Reported by Wilson Tembo, Malawi Project