Tale of Two Sisters

Tomas and Teresa

The lady lying on the reed mat on the ground looks so thin and old that we assume she is the grandmother of the children nearby. In fact she is their mother.

Candida Tique is one of the 20% of the population in the Chimoio region of Mozambique who have fallen victim to HIV/AIDS. Now she is dying. The stark reality of the families Habitat for Humanity is helping here hits us hard. But the Tique family is not suffering alone. Candida’s sister, Teresa, is one of the volunteers in this joint project between Habitat for Humanity Mozambique and Kubatsirana – a Mozambican NGO – which is addressing the needs of orphans and vulnerable children in the city of Chimoio. Teresa is visiting every day and helping to take care of the family. Tomorrow Teresa will take her sister to the hospital to get more medicine. This wonderful lady will continue to look after the children when their mother dies.

The new latrine built by Habitat

Until recently, one of the family’s urgent needs was shelter. When the children’s father died five years ago, survival became a struggle. Without his income, there was not even enough food to go round, let alone money for rent. The eldest son, Tomas, was only 18, but did his best to provide for the family – he built them a house from mud and wattle. Unfortunately the house was unable to withstand the elements, especially during the rainy season. Water used to pour through the roof. Tomas, now 23, remembers it well: ‘We suffered a lot. When it rained, everything got wet. We didn’t sleep.’

But there is hope for this family. In spite of the inevitable tragedy that lies before them, the children and their Aunt Teresa seem in remarkably good spirits. We are talking to them by the front door of their new two-bedroom house, built of sturdy red bricks and finished with plaster. It has a zinc roof which will shield the house from rain for years to come. The windows have mosquito nets to protect the children from malaria. Habitat for Humanity has also built a brick latrine for the family, to improve hygiene and prevent the spread of disease.

The Tique family's new home

All the Tique children are now in school. Tomas is also working as a barber, which produces some income for himself and his five brothers and sisters. Teresa and the other volunteers are also helping to provide food for the family, as well as assisting with Candida’s medical needs and giving psychological support to her and the children.

They are all very grateful for their new house. ‘Thanks be to God,’ says Teresa. ‘He has helped us a lot. God is great! I’m so happy that the children are living in a good place now. When it was finished, I couldn’t stop crying with joy!’

Yvonne Coleman, Mozambique