Brothers blossom with Mary’s Meals

Though they take care of themselves in one of Kenya’s urban slums, twins Anthony and Aggrey are planting seeds of a brighter future.   

Back to all stories | Posted on 03/12/18 in Children's storiesKenya Close Up

The one-roomed house which twins Anthony and Aggrey share in the urban slums of Eldoret, Kenya, is remarkably tidy for the home of two 14-year-old boys.

Each day, the brothers cook, clean, collect firewood, fetch water, and get themselves ready for school. They arrive at St Mary’s Primary School wearing hand-me-down uniforms, given to them by friends.

“We take care of ourselves,” Anthony says. “Because our mother is a single parent, she went to Sudan to look for a job. We both feel very sad that she’s not around, but we know she’s trying to build a better future.”

Their tiny house contains a bed, a small gas stove, a couple of jerry cans and a large barrel for collecting water, four plastic chairs and a table where they cook, eat and do their homework. Their other possessions are kept in plastic bags nailed to the walls.

The twins love football. Anthony supports Arsenal, while Aggrey’s team is Manchester United – but they try not to let it come between them. They also have a kitchen garden where they grow vegetables.

“We both love gardening,” Anthony explains. “We grow sweetcorn, kale, spinach, avocado, tomatoes, even grapes.”

Although their mum sends money when she can, life is tough for the teens and they sometimes can’t afford to buy food. For vulnerable children like Anthony and Aggrey who live in extreme poverty and uncertainty, Mary’s Meals offers a lifeline.

“Before it was really hard for us,” Anthony says. “Sometimes we went home at lunch time and there was no food and our vegetables were not ready, so we had to come back to school hungry, and stay hungry until the end of the day. Now we come to school and eat.”

Thanks to the promise of Mary’s Meals, both boys are blooming in the classroom and have ambitious careers planned.

“I would love to be a pilot,” Aggrey says.

“I want to be an engineer,” Anthony adds.

Anthony and Aggrey are just two of more than 22,000 vulnerable children in the slums of Eldoret and Kisii country, who are flourishing with the help of Mary’s Meals. Whatever happens at home, they come to school knowing that there will be a filling and nutritious meal to look forward to.

Given their strength and determination, we are sure that the twins have a bright future ahead of them and we wish them both the very best of luck.