Agony of ailing Brazilian woman seeking to trace kin

Her life reads like a South American Soap opera gone horribly wrong.

Unlike a classic example of a young girl who dreams of escaping from poverty by marrying a  suitor from a rich family and lives happily ever after, Maria Antonia Barbosa Dos Santos’ dream of escaping from poverty have remained a mirage and turned her life into a nightmare.

The 63-year-old Brazillian, who was born in the nondescript village of Penedo in the State of Alagao, Brazil, has lived in Kenya for the past 44 years.

Four decades ago, fired by the desire to better her life and escape from grinding poverty, where she had to scramble for food with 20 other children in her family, Maria was overjoyed when a German living in Kenya visited her family and offered to employ her as a nanny.

“I left Brazil when I was 19 years and the sole reason was to get as far as possible from the shadows of poverty. The German came to our home and requested my parents to allow me travel with them so as to take care of their four children,” said the frail woman.

All was well

Antonnia arrived in Nairobi in 1972 to work for the German. All was well until she fell in love with a Kenyan who was also working at the German’s house.

The man who would become her husband, Charles Ahuta, was a gardener and also a messenger.

She claimed her employer started beating her after he realised that she was in love with the gardener.

“He did not want us to have children and was bitter that I was falling in love with Ahuta,” she said.

The German, she said, took her to hospital, where she was put under family planning as a preventive measure against child-bearing.

As a result, she developed complications in her stomach, leading to the massive incisional hernia.

“But because of love, I secretly went and removed the coil and was able to get pregnant, a move that angered my employer, who kicked me out without paying my dues,” she added.

Antos said they moved to Kawangware in Nairobi and settled down with her husband.

She later gave birth to two children but one died five years later. However, unable to sustain the city life, they moved to Likuyani in Kakamega County, where The Standard caught up with her.

At Likuyani, Kongoni area, the fading beauty stands out from other villagers due to her light complexion and hair.

But all she harbours in her mind are fading memories of her family in Brazil, 44 years after coming to Kenya.

Her radiant smile hides the tribulations she has undergone since she left for Kenya. She said her current situation is more harrowing than the poverty in Brazil.

Despite her Brazilian origins, she is well versed in the Luhya culture and speaks the language fluently. However, the Brazilian is struggling with health problems and is desperate for assistance.

 Health complications

As she plucks some vegetables to prepare an afternoon meal, her husband gazes without uttering a word. On the table is a stack of drugs that the two have been taking to restore their health.

“We are both ailing and depend on drugs most of the time. My husband developed stroke after we received details of our medical situation,” she said. Besides, Santos is suffering from diabetes and hernia, a condition where the lower part of her stomach has disengaged and her intestines are protruding, both of which require urgent medical attention.

They have been living in Kongoni in abject poverty with their 38-year-old daughter, who is a mother of five. The family has been at the mercy of neighbours and well-wishers.

 Despite their health condition, Santos has been seeking to connect with her family in Brazil but all in vain. She wishes they could get to know what she is going through.

“The last time I talked to my mother was 41 years ago and my desire is to hear from them because she is still part of my family in Brazil,” she noted.

Her attempts to seek audience with the Brazilian Embassy in Kenya have been unsuccessful.

“Every time I visit the head office, I am told I cannot be assisted because I am married to a Kenyan. My wish is to see my siblings and my mother, who live at Penedo. She deserves to know what has been going on with my life so that they can support me,” she added.

Santos’s daughter, Christine Matia, has been working as a casual labourer to provide for her children and parents. “My parents require medical assistance. I have grown knowing that I have other relatives in Brazil but it is unfortunate that I have never seen them,” said Matia.

She said her parents are not in a position to fend for themselves because of their condition, saying the Government should come to their rescue.