After primary education I experienced a lot of problems due to poverty in my family.  In 2009 my father had nothing.  He had a farm of about six acres but my aunt’s cattle destroyed it.  She wanted to pay us but the neighbors said it was worthless to pay a poor man for it adds nothing to his poverty.  So we were left without food that year.  My father went without food.

     Reverend Alfred Osiyaka met my father.  He told him that he could help.  He told my father that he could send me to Maasai Girls Secondary School.  My father went to the Head teacher’s office to get a report form.    He got it and my father let me go with the Reverend to Njiro, Arusha.  We were three girls.  One joined Maasai Girls and another one ran away and went back home.

     Reverend had two children, a girl and a boy.  They are both in school.  Everyday everybody left except me.  They locked the doors and left me outside with buckets to fetch water, or a bag of maize for me to go to a mill.  One day as I was going to the mill I had to cross Kijenge River.  I fell down and the bag of maize landed on my back.  A man saw me and asked where I lived.  I told him I stayed with Reverend Osiyaka.  He helped me to carry the load.

     When I arrived home the Reverend’s wife asked me why I fell.  I said I didn’t but she beat me on my buttocks and on my palm.  She ordered me to work in the shamba.  Later she called me and I went in. She asked why I stepped on her floor with dirty feet.  I told her I had no time to wash my feet because she wanted me immediately.  She slapped me on my face and made me scrub the floor that night.  She forced me to work even later hours.

     I escaped and came to Emusoi very weak and pale.  After two days I felt very sick.  My father heard all about my suffering.  He decided to walk from Kibaya to Arusha, which is about 350km, because he had no money.  He didn’t eat anything for four day and became very sick after his long journey.  The doctor said he suffers from ulcers.

My grandmother also heard about my suffering and became very sad.  I am the first born in my family.  My brother is in class one.  I tried to ask myself if the suffering I went through was because of poverty in my family?  It hurts me a great deal. 

    Note: Nawati will enter Form I this year.