Interview with Alinafe Kazinga

My name is Alinafe Kazinga. I was born in January, 1993. I used to live with both of my parents, but Dad fought with Mum and they broke up. Mum used to love staying at the Traditional Authority (TA) (senior chief), so she took us there while we were waiting for Dad to build us a house. Soon after we had moved into the house, a man came to propose to Mum. She left the village and moved to town. Her new husband’s other wife wasn’t very happy and bewitched her. When she returned to our village, she was sick and looked like a mad woman. She ended up in hospital. Then she came home. And then she went back to the hospital and died. When we went to collect her things in town, we only got a few plates. The other wife took the rest.

How do you survive?
We get pumpkin leaves from the farm and when there is none, we get most of the food from our grandmother. Sometimes, when she can, she gives us money to buy what we need.

What are some of the difficulties you experience?
I can’t go to school because there is no money for school fees or soap (children can be sent home from school if they’re not clean and wearing a clean uniform). So we end up going to the TA to beg.

When we don’t have food, sometimes we go to our grandmother and we farm the land on our own. We get fertilizer from the TA.

How do you benefit from AMAI A PLAN?
I’m benefiting a lot from AMAYI A PLAN because we didn’t use to have blankets and they bought some for us. When we have no food, they always tell us to go and get some from them. So I think it’s a good idea to go and tell them about the problems we’re having.

Before the Women’s Group it was the TA who helped us.

I can’t afford to take care of my younger siblings. Now, they all go to school except me and my elder brother.

What does your day entail?
Every morning when I wake up, I sweep the yard and then I go to fetch water. After that, I go to look for something to cook for relish. Then, I cook nsima and take a bath and go for sports with my younger sister. When we return, we cook and then sleep.