Home Visits

Today half of us went to visit the homes of some of the students at Greater Joy. It certainly was an insightful day. We visited five houses which gave us the chance to gain a perspective of what life is like for families living at completely different ends of the financial spectrum. It's safe to say we were all overwhelmed. To some extent, we all knew what to expect but nothing could have prepared us for what we saw today. It was heartbreaking to see how little they had and how reliant they were on one member of the family to provide for what we consider an overly large household (this is because they often culturally care for children who are not their own, if they are without means of support) . This was significant as it emphasised just how fragile each family's situation is and how a household could so easily be left with nothing. Despite this, their pride overpowered any sense of injustice of their situation. Each and every single household owner welcomed us into their home with such warmth and joy that you could not help but feel at ease.  I think what hit us most was in the second house a sixteen year old boy (our age) was totally immobile and dependent on his mother to feed him as he contracted malaria at the age of four. Knowing that his life will always require the help of another was an extremely overwhelming realisation, especially as there is no disability financial support provided by the government. Meaning that his mother would always be under a constant pressure to provide for the household as well to care and support this particular son - throughout her entire life, was a profound experience. This situation really brought home just how fortunate we have been to be born in a country that does provide government support to the people who need it, alongside the accessibility to things that we consider basic elements of everyday life, such as food, water, employment and housing.  All in all it was an eye opening experience that will certainly stay with us for a long time and hopefully will shape the conscious choices we make in the future for the better.

Love to all back home, miss you all,
Georg (Loulou), Clara and Sophie K.

P.S - Jenna said "Mum can you comment with your name so I know it's you".