Joseph’s slight frame and timid character are not what you might expect of a sixteen-year-old boy But, in his short life, Joseph has experienced more trauma than most of us could imagine. Joseph lost his father when he was seven years old. His mother died of malaria when he was ten.
To feed and clothe himself, Joseph had to find what work he could, giving him no choice but to drop out of school. He worked as a farm-hand, ploughing fields with a hand-held hoe from sunrise to sunset in the dry, hot fields for a tiny wage.
Working long hours without earning enough money to feed himself, Joseph’s health deteriorated. The closest health centre was a four hour walk away. This left him with the difficult choice of either working and eating, or seeking treatment, but not eating and risking losing his job.
However, Joseph’s life has improved significantly since he started attending AMREF’s skills workshop. Like his late father, Joseph is training to become a tailor and has been taking classes to develop his sewing and tailoring skills. As Joseph explains, “when I couldn’t afford to continue my studies and left school I had no occupation. I had almost lost hope until AMREF helped me”.
Once Joseph has clothed himself, he sells his clothes in the local market. Whilst some of this money is reinvested in new materials and supplies for the group, the remainder of the money provides Joseph with a small monthly income.
‘I come to this workshop in order to develop a career for myself. In the future I am hopeful that I will be able to take care of my life. After this course has finished I think I will get a job with a tailor, start to earn money of my own and have a good living. I made the trousers that I am wearing today. I am very pleased with them and hope to make many more pairs’, Joseph says.
Alongside his vocational skills training, Joseph receives health information and support from AMREF, helping him to live a healthier life. Joseph and his classmates have also been trained as “peer educators”. This way they can share their new knowledge and understanding of health issues with friends who do not attend the project. Together, the class have found that the best way to pass on their new knowledge is through local radio dramas, which they both write and help present.
Since starting his training, Joseph has flourished. In the safe environment of the classroom, he has been able to recapture some of his lost childhood. He has built new friendships and is regaining the self-esteem he lost whilst struggling to survive. He has renewed hope for the future.
As he told AMREF, “before AMREF started helping me I was very ignorant about health issues. But now I understand why my parents lost their lives and I feel I know how to avoid the same things happening to me. I hope to find a career for myself, have a family and see my children grow up”.