For 16-year-old Alvin Ochieng Onyango and his brother Joannes Omondi,15, the death of their father in 2019 sealed their fate, consigning them to a life of misery.
The event that snapped life out of their father cause them anguish at a young age.
At a tender age, the duo had to quickly adjust to the realities of life and take over the roles of family heads, fending for themselves and their younger sibling who is currently in grade five at the nearby Sidada primary school.
This was after their mother abandoned them, disappearing to unknown destination just months after the burial of their father.
According to the children, their father, Stephen Onyango Msando , a butcher, was knocked by a vehicle along the Kisumu – Busia Road in October 2019 and was buried in the same month, leaving them under the care of their mother, Claris Anyango Onyango.
The warmth and care of the mother was however short-lived, as barely five months later, she left the home unannounced.
Young and with no one to turn to, Alvin who was then aged 10 years and his brother, Joannes had no alternative, but to pick up their siblings and seek refuge at relatives.
Narrating the harrowing experience at their Sidada village home in North Gem location, Gem Yala Sub County in Siaya, the young boys said that they ended up with one of their relatives at Madeya.
“Life here was not a bed of roses. We really suffered and would be beaten up over flimsy reasons, like being found playing with other children” says Alvin.
Tired of the frequent beatings, they decided to go back to their home and suffer in peace.
As they struggled to make ends meet through menial jobs in the village, their mother appeared in 2021.
Grateful to God that at least they had a shoulder to lean on, Alvin went back to Sidada primary school and enrolled in standard six.
He was to learn up to class eight and sat for his Kenya Certificate of primary examination, after which he joined form one at Nyabeda secondary school.
Immediately he joined form one, he says, their mother disappeared again.
“She disappeared after selling the six cows that our father had left and gave his brother, our father’s motor cycle” he laments adding that when they demanded to know why she was selling our father’s property, she told us that those were her husband’s and we had no right to question.
The worst thing, Alvin said, was that the mother who had abandoned them earlier, had come with two other young children and when she disappeared again, she left them behind under our care.
For seven months, nobody knew where she was and the young children had to struggle alone.
The mother was to make yet another appearance in March this year for a few days before taking off again with her two young children that she sired after the death of her husband.
Alvin says that their fate now rests the hands of God.
“We just hustle by doing manual jobs in the village to keep us going and support our young brother who is a pupil at Sidada primary school in class,” he said.
He however says that he and his brother are ready to go back to school should they find a good Samaritan who can fund the cost of their education and food.
His brother, Joannes Omondi who is currently engaged as a caretaker in a home in the village had a few words.
“I have undergone a lot of problems that if I can get somebody to help me and my siblings, I will appreciate.”
Omondi who dropped out in standard eight, says that they have dreams of becoming responsible and useful members of the society who will contribute to development, something that he says can only be achieved if they go to school.
Local leaders, among them Sidada “A” village elder, Wilson Ogola Onyango and the chief executive officer of a local community-based organization, Dak Achana, Miss Lorine Omondi who called on the government and well-wishers to come to the aid of the family, lamented that some villagers were taking advantage of their situation.
“They do not have a sustainable livelihood and the two have dropped out of school so as to take care of their younger sibling” said Lorine Omondi, adding that the children must be supported to go back to school or else, we will lose them to crime.
She said there was need for concerted efforts by stakeholders to take the rising number of school dropouts in the area.
The village elder, Wilson Ogola Onyango equally called for support to the vulnerable family.
“Truly speaking, these children deserve support. We have tried as a village. Since the death of their father, they have never known peace,” he said.
The head teacher of Sidada primary school, Kevin Ooko said that they boys’ sibling, Neville Odhiambo, was a pupil in his school at grade five.
He said that the school has been forced to make arrangements to accommodate him in their lunch programme that caters for pupils in grades six, seven and eight.
“We found that the boy is from a child headed home and that whenever he goes for lunch, he only takes water and comes back” said Ooko, adding “as a school we have a simple lunch programme that provides boiled maize and beans “nyoyo” for grades 6,7 and 8 and we had to bring him in.”.
The head teacher said the school has several pupils from needy backgrounds due to poverty within the community.
“Due to poverty, most of the care givers who are grandparents cannot provide them with adequate food and many fail to attend school regularly and eventually drop out” said Ooko, who also called on organisations, well-wishers and the government to support the vulnerable children.
By Philip Onyango
