Marron's Story

In the far North-West Province of Zambia beyond the town of Mwinilunga, Sachibondu mission station extends God’s hand of care to those suffering and affected by HIV and AIDS. The project, called S.H.A.P.E. (Sachibondu HIV and AIDS Prevention and Education) presently reaches over 100 families.

Project worker Carlos Chambatu writes;

Marron title

Marron is a boy aged 15 years from a family of 4 children - 2 boys and 2 girls, Marron being the second in the family.

He has been under SHAPE support for many years in terms of school fees, uniforms, books and food as well. He is doing grade 8 at Sachibondu Middle Basic School.

Marron's mother, Dailess, was diagnosed HIV positive in 1997 and since then, she had been on HIV medication and living a positive life.
She had been living at Kayishila a village about 4km away from Sachibondu Mission until in 2008 when she got married to a fellow HIV positive client. She carried all her children to go and stay with her to the new marriage including Marron to stay with the step father.

From this time, as SHAPE, we could not see Marron and other family members like we used to see them regularly but we could just help them when they came to seek for help.
Unfortunately, the new marriage was not good, such that Dailess decided to end it because life became very difficult for her since the husband went back to the former wife.

From that time, Dailess became very sick such that she can not help all her children especially Marron and his elder sister Queen who is in Grade 11 at Lunga High School, also under SHAPE support.

Marron and mother

Currently the mother is admitted at Sachibondu Health Centre and Marron whose school is around Sachibondu Mission has stopped school temporarily just to look after his younger sister since there is no one else to look after her and also to do the cooking for both himself and the younger sister because the mother is very sick and the elder sister to Marron is at school which is 40 km away from Sachibondu Mission.
Marron’s school life has been affected in many ways, in the first place he did not have the school uniform which includes; shoes, shirt, trousers and a neck tie, but SHAPE provided him with the things mentioned above. He is also facing another challenge of looking after her young sister who has no one to take care of her especially now that the mother is bed-ridden.
As SHAPE we are praying to God so that he can show us ways in which we can help this boy whose school life has been affected because of his mother’s sickness.

Marron at school

Reported by,
Carlos K. Chambatu?and the entire SHAPE Team.

For more information please contact the church office.

Marcel, 10/08/2010