Flora's husband died of AIDS in 2004. Only then did Flora learn that she, too, was HIV-positive. Her youngest son, Gerald (born around 2004), also had HIV; her two older daughters were not affected. Gerald was in the second year of secondary school at the time, and Flora needed financial assistance to pay for his schooling. Due to Gerald's weakened immune system, he was often ill, especially with his ears.
Flora made Maasai jewelry, which she sold on the street, earning little money. She suffered from asthma and was therefore unable to do heavy physical labor. Fortunately, she owned her own small house and didn't have to pay rent. She also had three chickens and a goat. Her house was made of mud/earth and cow dung and often needed repairs. Because of her illness and low income, she had difficulty carrying out necessary repairs. Her house was located outside of Arusha, and it took a very long time to get into the city, mainly because she had to walk, as she couldn't afford a motorbike taxi or a bus. She had to go to the hospital regularly to pick up her HIV medication, which was available free of charge in Tanzania.
Their eldest daughter, Raphia (born around 1996), had completed Form 4 but was not admitted to high school due to her grades. Julita (born around 2002) had to retake her Form 4 exams and would then know if she had been admitted to high school.
We supported Flora's family by paying off their debt to Gerald's school. Flora told us that it would help her if her barn were enlarged and she could get another goat and some chickens (similar to Evaline). Her house also needed repairs.
Estimated costs (at the time):
Repair of Flora's house: approx. 500,000 TSh
Goat: 75 USD
Chickens: $10 each
Stall: approx. 150 USD
Update July 2017: The donations for this have already been collected and the work was being planned.
Flora's daughter Raphia told us in March 2017 that she would like to become a driver and therefore wanted to take driving lessons.
Update July 2017 (later): Raphia was already taking driving lessons.
Update (later): Flora didn't agree to have her house renovated; she wanted a new one built. Since we didn't have the financial means for that, and she wouldn't settle for less, we decided to only support Gerald with his schooling. Raphia wasn't honest with us and therefore received no further support from us.
Update 2020/2021: At Flora, we continued to support Gerald. Because Gerald had serious health problems in 2019 (due to HIV) and therefore missed a lot of school, resulting in mediocre grades, we hadn't expected him to get a place at the state school. But in the end, it was enough, and he was able to continue with Form 5 (Year 12) in 2020 and then attended Form 6.
The association no longer supports Flora and her family (Gerald is now an alumnus). We wish her and her family all the best for the future.