26/04/2026
Meet Tito, a Grade 8 pupil who has not reported to school since January. At such a young age, he has taken on a parental role, caring for his four younger siblings.
Most of the time, their mother is absent, leaving Tito to hustle and provide food for the family. The children come from five different fathers, none of whom are currently supporting them. Tito has never met his biological father ,he was told that he rejected him just two days after birth.
His mother later had another child with a different man, but the relationship did not last. The same pattern continued ,new relationships, pregnancies, and eventual separations. This cycle has gone on until the birth of the fifth child.
Tito says that each time his mother gives birth and the baby grows a little older, she leaves them in his care, disappears for a while, and later returns pregnant again.
Now living in Kitui, Tito does whatever he can to provide. He fetches and sells water, collects plastics for sale, and even sells household items on days when he earns nothing. Recently, his mother gave birth and has been unwell, forcing Tito to take on full responsibility for the entire family.
They sleep on the floor because they do not have a mattress. On days when Tito comes home empty-handed and there is nothing left to sell, he boils water, adds salt, and that becomes their only meal as they hold onto hope for a better tomorrowπ.
Despite everything, Titoβs greatest wish is to return to school. He dreams of finding a kind-hearted person who can help him continue his education so that one day, he can change his familyβs situation.
Overwhelmed by the burden he carries, Tito has even pleaded with his mother not to have another child, as the responsibility has already become too heavy for him to bear.π.
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