The forgotten urban vulnerable haunted by HIV and AIDS

Nairobi, Kenya- Meet Doris Timbwa Mikaye a mother of five children who met face-to-face with the dreaded HIV and AIDS which claimed life’s of all her daughters. At 64, Doris has encountered pain, frustration, sorrow and rejection owing to a condition she never invited to her home. “I have buried all my children, now I have grand and great grand to look after”- lamented Doris.

Doris lives in a single room in Korogocho slums, Nairobi; a room constructed for her by a local church. Though, without cement on the floor, the room provides shelter for her family in times of rain and scotching sun. She has no other home after she was chased by her husband many years ago for not bearing a son. “That’s where I call home, though its only a room”.

She is perceived by both her neighbours and family as a cursed person, owing to the string of misfortunes that have befallen her family. Her life characterized with rough terrains, deaths of loved ones and rejection by her immediate family is just some of agony she narrates.

Doris first born daughter (who we will call Catherine- not real name) succumbed to HIV and AIDS in 1988 at a time that little was known about the pandemic “people could not move closer to her or touch her. She faced real stigma” narrated Doris. On knowing her status, Catherine was chased by her husband’s family. They accused her of promiscuity. She collapsed and died on her return to Kenya from Tanzania where she lived with her husband; Catherine left behind three children of 9,7 and 3 years. The husband equally rejected all the three children.

Mama Doris took over the task of being both the mother and the father for her grand children. One of Catherine’s youngest son, later became a success story and was admired by many in their Korogocho settlement. He played football for the famous Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) and travelled around the globe as a result of his talents. “I held high expectation of him” said Doris.
Fate robbed him from me…

One fateful February in 2010, while returning home in Korogocho, Godfrey whose lifestyle had started improving was attacked by un-known men who stabbed him to death. An incident Doris believed “they attacked him because of his changed lifestyle”.

His death meant more burdens to the grandmother, since he left behind two children. Catherine’s eldest son a dumb would be do all sorts of work to earn money. “People took advantage of his condition…he transported guns in the slum for five shillings”-lamented the granny. Mama Doris later relocated his grandson to Tanzania after she feared for her life.

Living in Korogocho slums presents challenges and exposes many teenagers to vulnerable condition. Poverty bites hard, crime rate is in high proportions and drug abuse the order of the day.


More burials awaited mama Doris
Mama Doris second daughter, Dovina also stayed with the mother in Korogocho slums prior to her death in 1992. She conceived her first child while in class seven and sat for her examination their after. “We only saw signs on her…didn’t know what ailed her” said Doris.

“I became worried for both my daughter and her 5 year old son. Dovina used to cough a lot”-narrated Doris. She took them to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) where Dovina was diagnosed positive for the HIV virus, while that of her son was negative. “KNH refused to admit her…I returned home with her and she later died at home”.

“I never used protection, while taking care of my daughters”.
Dovina’s son today lives in Mukuru and engages in collecting garbage. He could be referred to as a ‘chokora’ (Kenyan name for street children who loiter and have no home).
Child finished few days and died

As Mama Doris continue narrating her story, I admire her courage and hope in the midst of turmoil she has encountered. She recalls one of her other daughter- Kesiah who lived in Kisumu before she moved to stay with her. Kesiah conceived the first child who lived for few days and died. She later got another baby who died before her first birthday after succumbing to meningitis.

“No one knew she was living with the HIV virus”- said Doris. Her boyfriend a tout on matatus plying Kisumu-Kakamega route committed suicide after word went round about Kesiah’s HIV status. “A doctor came home to treat her”.

During the early days of HIV and AIDS pandemic, People Living with HIV and AIDS stayed at home since bed capacities in many hospitals was hard to come-by. That resulted into shift of the Home Based Care (HBC) designed to cater for those who ailed at home.

Mama Doris explained that Kesiah’s condition improved due to medication she took. “She looked healthy that no one would suspect she lived with the HIV virus”. Doris lamented, that Kesiah would have been alive today, if she (Doris) knew how to care for PLWHA’s and started taking Anti-Retroviral (ARV) medication on time.

Burying her children has been normal in a society predominantly with cultural beliefs that the children should bury their parents and not vice versa. She has buried all her children and some grandchildren from HIV related complications. All her son-in-laws have either died or rejected their children; living her with an uphill task of fending for them in an urban set-up which is alive with enormous challenges especially for women her age.

At 64, Doris plays the role of a father and a mother to six grand and great-grand children who all look to her for food, shelter, clothing and education. “I do small businesses…wash school which pays me” she said. Our Lady of Fatuma in Korogocho where some of her grand children and great grand children school, provides her with jobs which guarantees meals for the family. She depends on well wishers and her church to feed the children.

“I collect food left- over from school feeding program…that assures a family meal”.

They believe am a bother

“The community don’t want me, they stigmatize me…they believe am a bother”-lamented Doris. Her own family flesh and blood do not want any association with her. She did not get a son and same applied to her mother. “My father a polygamist…his co-wives with sons took over our plot. My father is old, cannot do anything”- narrated Doris.

For many women like Doris who have seen the dark sides of HIV pandemic, God’s Grace is sufficient even as she struggles with her own life and that of her only relatives.The impact of HIV and AIDS in Africa and especially among the urban vulnerable is real with number of orphan’s sky-rocketing.

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) jointly with UNHABITAT recently held a workshop In Naivasha, Kenya attended by members of the ACT Alliance in Kenya; deliberated on the plight of the urban vulnerable.

A document presented at the meeting read “There is a humanitarian crisis taking place in deprived informal settlements around the world, and one of the regions where this dynamic is playing out is in Kenya” The document further warned that- “Urban poverty is set to be Kenya’s defining crisis over the next decade if it is not urgently addressed. Urban population living in slums is expected to double in the next 15 years due to rural-urban migration”.

Kenya has over 4 million urban food poor and almost a third of this number is located in Nairobi. Over 200 informal settlements in Nairobi cover only 5 per cent of the total residential land area of the city and 60 per cent of Nairobi’s population live in slums.