Vihiga villager, his four children at the mercy of elements

Have you ever spent a night in the cold, not by choice but because of circumstances beyond your control, with the nightly chill hitting your soul?

It may be unimaginable.

But Francis Asuna, a resident of Matrin village in Vihiga County knows the extremes of poverty.

When the Sunday Nation team visited Mr Asuna at his homestead, we found him sharing two mandazis among his four children.

GAPING HOLES

They sat outside their dilapidated house, which just two weeks ago was the family’s shelter.

Now it is all but collapsed.

With the ongoing rains, Mr Asuna and his family sleep in the ‘house’ despite the danger of it caving in.

Since it is no ordinary dwelling, children go through the gaping holes as they play hide-and-seek.

MATTRESS

They are too young to notice the danger.

The house is, or was, partitioned into three rooms.

However, only one of the rooms serves as a kitchen and sleeping area for Mr Asuna and his children.

Previously, they were sleeping on the floor until a church gave him a mattress recently.

Every day, the 38-year-old wakes up in the morning to look for odd jobs. Mr Asuna says he earns at least Sh200 daily.

CUSTOMS

Three of his children are in school.
Mr Asuna is the mother and father of his children. His wife left the family in May 2017 following a disagreement, leaving behind a six-month-old baby.

He lives from hand to mouth and is reluctant to build a house. Recently, a Kiboswa Pentecostal Church raised funds to build him a house but family issues stand as a stumbling block to the effort.

“According to our customs, I must conduct a memorial service for my late father before I can build a house,” he said resignedly.