18/03/2019

FROM THE STREETS TO THE CLASSROOM

PAUL’S LIFE STORY

Paul Harry, aged 13 is a single orphan who lost his mother at the age of 7, in 2012. He was born in a family of two, Paul and his sister Pilirani. His father abandoned them and left for Lilongwe where he re-married. Magret Falison, a sister to Paul’s mother took the responsibility of caring Paul and his sister. They stay in Jelabi village, GVH Maonga, T/A Kalonga in Salima.  Magret was married to Falison who was a businessman selling secondhand shoes, unfortunately, he died in February, 2016 after being diagnosed with HIV.  Before the husband (Falison) died he burned all the household belongings including clothes for Magret and 6 children claiming that he didn’t want the next husband of Magret to use them. He removed the doors and windows of their house and took them away to his home. This situation then added bitter life to Paul who was already nursing the wound of being an orphan and being abandoned by his father.

After staying for 4 years with Magret, Paul was taken by her sister, Pilirani, who was married and staying in Lilongwe. Life was not any better in Lilongwe up to the extent that Paul dropped out of school and became a street kid after her sister, Pilirani, abandoned him and left with her husband to stay in Nsanje. Hunger and poor clothing punctuated the life of Paul in Lilongwe. “My plans were to jump towards a speeding truck, to get killed…yes…killed,” says Paul amid sobbing.  All this was happening without the knowledge of Magret.

It was until in 2017 when Magret got this sad news about the life of Paul that she put all efforts to find Paul and brought him back home and enrolled him at Mbwezera Primary School to start standard 5. Now Magret is taking care of 6 biological children, 1 grandchild and Paul. Life is very unbearable for a widow like Magret to be a sole bread winner for 8 children.  Paul is attending classes but has poor clothing, he has literary changed the old skirts of her sister, Pilirani, into pair of shorts. Despite this appalling situation, Paul scooped position 2 in the first term and has just scooped position 1 this ending second term to the amazement of fellow classmates and teachers.

Magret appealed to well- wishers to support her as she is the only bread winner. Paul’s father is still alive and stays in Lilongwe but has no interest in supporting his son. Kindle Orphan Outreach has immediately put Magret on its goat pass-on programme and she will receive 2 female goats before this April- end. Paul is just one of the many Children who now have access to Quality Education through Kindle Orphan Outreach in Salima District- Malawi.