|
A recent update from the Centre’s Executive Director, Stella Masikan,
describes how the grandmothers and the children in their care continue
to struggle with extraordinary challenges and hardship:
One of the Grannies was locked up in prison to serve 90 days for failing
to vacate her late mother’s house where she and her husband were caring
for an orphan left by her late sister. Her husband was terminally ill.
We got to know about all this through the ill husband who was asking us
as an organization to take this orphan to our centre. As you know we are
a community-based organization, although we have few buildings, we
encourage children to stay within the community.
We visited the sick husband as a team from the centre and, hey,
the man was in so much pain, without food and nobody to really
care for him since the wife is in prison.
When we left the house, which is 20 kilometres from where the
family used to live, and this is in a different town from Harare,
we thought of alternatives to keep the child in school. The child
had missed lessons for a whole week because he could not afford
bus fare. We then visited the Grannie in Prison and asked if she
was comfortable with the idea of having the orphan placed with
Grannie Dorcas who attended the workshop in Toronto, she agreed
happily. We were not sure if Grannie Dorcas would accommodate this
extra child as she already has 23 people in her household, but
because of her outgoing personality and kind heart, we thought we
should give it a try. It was only one word and she accepted. This
was the best place for the child to be because its in the same
neighborhood and the child is friends with some of the children
within the household already. When Grannie Dorcas accepted this
request, I couldn’t hold back my tears. Meanwhile the husband of
this granny in prison got worse. We went and removed the child from
that household and the child resumed lessons at school. Most
importantly, he has settled down very well.
Sadly, the sick husband passed away on Wednesday 27 September. Since
there is a problem of fuel shortage we could not attend the funeral
but we only manage to provide bus fare for Brian, the 13 year old
orphan. He has since gone back to Grannie Dorcas. The Grannie in
prison could not even attend her husband’s funeral. She, herself
looks ill.
What it means is that we are going to have additional children to
look after. I thought I should share this with you.
Kindest Regards
Stella
| 
This leg of my life’s journey started two years ago and has
been by far the best time of my life. I cannot imagine life
without my family. Unfortunately, most grandmothers in Africa
will never be able to experience this very simple pleasure
that most Canadian grandmothers take for granted. 
On March 7 2006, the Stephen Lewis Foundation launched the
