Mutindi's Story
Little Mutindi lost both parents when she was only a baby. Her grandfather has cared for her ever since in Wendano, a small village in Kenya – but life has been tough.
When Mutindi was only two years old her body was too weak to fight off an ear infection. She survived but lost her hearing. A few years later the toddler’s body was suddenly covered in sores, doctors discovered the little girl was living with HIV and was likely born that way.
Mutindi’s grandfather, 67 year old Mr. Kunga owned a small chicken farm to support them, but was forced to sell everything to buy his granddaughters anti-retrovirals (ARVs) - the medicine that keeps people with HIV alive. After selling everthing on his farm Mr. Kunga didn't know how they would get by - but it was a life or death decision – without the medication Mutindi would die.
Even though Mutindi is deaf, she desperately wants to go school – but with no money for food, books, school supplies and a uniform – education seemed completely out of the question.
But not too long after Mr. Kunga sold his last chicken, AMREF started a support group in their village for people affected by HIV. Both Mr. Kunga and Mutindi joined. At nine years old she is the youngest in the group.
AMREF brings nurses to the village to teach proper hygiene, diet and home based care. Most importantly, Mutindi gets her medication. Mr. Kunga has also been given a small loan to purchase two chickens and is farming again. Life is slowly getting better.
There might even be enough money for Mutindi to go to school.
By supporting AMREF you have saved lives like Mutindi and her grandfather. Thank you.
But you can also do so much more!
For a single donation of only $50 you can provide an HIV-positive child with life-saving medication and blood tests for four months. That means that by spending less than 50 cents a day you can save a child’s life.
