Hear Our Voices – "Mosquitoes make terrible noises"

“My name is Amina Yussuf. I am 15 years old and in standard seven at Sankuri primary school, which is 22km north of Garissa town [capital of Kenya's Northeastern Province].

“My parents are peasant farmers who grow food crops like maize and bananas along the River Tana. We had a few goats, but most of them died during the last drought and some were stolen earlier by bandits.

“My parents are poor and I want to work hard in school and assist them and my five brothers in future.

“But a number of factors have frustrated my efforts to succeed in school and change the life of my parents and brothers. On many occasions I have gone to school without taking any food and also missed classes because of sickness like malaria.

“Studying at night at home is also very hard and expensive. Most times we cannot afford to buy kerosene. On many occasions I have been forced to spend sleepless nights at home because of mosquitoes.

“They make terrible noises apart from biting children and adults. It is a common problem here. Most of our parents cannot afford to buy mosquito nets - which is very dangerous, especially now because of the Rift Valley Fever.

“Many girls in my school are determined to be nurses, teachers and even pilots, but the situation here in Sankuri is very tough. We need mosquito nets, kerosene, food assistance and medicine in order to learn like other children in the country.”

na/mw