We Feel Sad Mum Isn't Around

With the support of Mary’s Meals, Anthony and Aggrey balance school and work to give themselves a chance of a better future.

- Stuart Johnstone

At 14 years old, twins Anthony and Aggrey are living a life of responsibility that most kids can’t even begin to contemplate at their age.

The boys are living alone in the Eldoret region of Kenya, where they eke out a living by selling fruit and vegetables. They work around their education. The hours are long and hard, but school is something they are not willing to sacrifice. Not only do they want to get an education to help them fulfil their dreams, the twins also attend classes so they can be fed nutritious food by Mary’s Meals.

The area they live in is economically deprived and sustenance can often be hard to come by, so the support of Mary’s Meals is vital.

It’s not an easy life. Their mum had to travel to Sudan to get work, so the boys live alone in a single room house, which is sparsely furnished but perhaps surprisingly clean and tidy for youngsters of their age – a reflection that they have had to grow up fast compared to others.

Their mum does try to send money home to help Anthony and Aggrey, but this is fraught with difficulties. She has to find trustworthy people to hand over funds, and more than once she has lost money due to taking help from people who then disappear.