International day of the girl child

For several months I have been saying not to take anymore children into my house. There are 17 children and it is more than a fulltime job to make sure everybody is well taken care for. When a child goes back to the village or a child goes for adoption I will be able to help more. 

However today at the International day of the girl child God told me to do different.

Early this morning people from the village of Happiness and Vanessa came to my house. The mother of the girls is suffering from AIDS and her conditioning is worsening fast. The father died before Vanessa was born.

After I brought the other girls to school I go with them to the village. I find the mother inside the house. She is very weak and not able to sit or stand anymore. She is vomiting blood and not able to eat anything. Inside I’m crying because I know she will die soon now. However I’m trying to stay strong because of Happiness and Vanessa. These two little girls are taking care for their mother together with their 80 years old grandmother. I sit down with the grandmother and ask her what is going to happen with the girls. 

Hapiness is HIV positive and needs good care, which the grandmother is not able to give. The grandmother likes to drink to forget all problems and responsibilities. Every night when she is drunk Hapiness is not taking her medication.

Hapiness and Vanessa are responsible for drawing water, going to the maize mill, washing clothes, cooking food and more. Their mother became blind a few years ago. The girls help her to look for the right way to the hospital and plant their field. Happiness and Vanessa never had a chance to be child, never had a chance to attend school or play with friends.

I look at the girls and know they can’t live like this anymore. The situation is so incredible hopeless. These two precious children deserve so much more.

The mother starts talking. She asks me if I can please take care for her girls. They have no family because everybody died of the same disease. With tears in her eyes she kindly asks me to please take the girls and send them to school.

Hapiness and Vanessa are sitting next to us, they are so dirty that they did not bath for days. Their clothes are smelling, torn and too small.
I leave the village together 6 years old Hapiness and 4 years old Vanessa, I just can’t leave them their.