Mwajuma #3

Mwajuma’s Story

Mwajuma is 28 years old and has 3 children ages 8, 5, and 2 1/2.  Her 8 year old was born disabled.  At some point, her husband abandoned her and took everything when he left.  When this happened, she went back to her village, but her mother turned on her – probably because of the handicapped baby. When the heavy rains came, the Bibi put the baby outside and locked the door, leaving the baby out in the rain.  Mwajuma left her village immediately with her 3 children.  She is unable to forgive her mother and now feels unwanted by everyone.  When she came back to Arusha, an older woman took her in and has been a mother figure for Mwajuma, but she is unable to support her.  She lives in a small mud room with little to no belongings. Mwajuma has been washing clothes for her neighbors but this only gives her enough money to buy a little bit of porridge each week. Her hands have sores on them from all the washing she has been doing. Mwajuma needs to stay in the area she is in because her oldest child is in a government school already and she has support from her older friend.  Anna will find her a safer house to live in close to the school her oldest child goes to and close to her friend.  She will be able to start a business near her home.  Maybe cooking – she kept offering to cook something for Anna and the volunteers with what little she had.  She is a hard worker and she loves her babies; she will do very well in the MAP program.