My Story

Joyce’s father is not married to Joyce’s mother, and has not taken responsibility for his two children, Joyce and Shadrack. He disappeared, never to be seen again. Two years later, in 2005, Joyce’s mother moved in with another man who lives illegally as a squatter in the government forest. They have been living together since then, and have had three children of their own, bringing the total number of children in the home to five. Joyce’s mother is responsible for caring for the needs of all of the children, as the man she lives with has proven to be an unfit father. Living in the forest is extremely difficult, and they do not have a consistent source of income. Joyce and her siblings frequently miss meals and often are unable to attend school due to a lack of finances. The situation has grown worse because of the fact that Joyce’s step-father has declared that he cannot continue supporting his two step-children, and that they must leave his home. Therefore, Joyce’s mother must decide to either leave with Joyce and Shadrack or stay at the home to care for her other three children. Joyce’s step-father is an alcoholic, and is abusive.