Winnie Kayendeke
Girl, 10 years old
Quick facts
My story
Winnie is the youngest of seven children in a family that’s barely holding on. Her father, once a local schoolteacher, lost his job due to growing competition, and her mother now digs in people’s gardens to earn a little money—often not enough to feed them all.
None of Winnie’s siblings are in school. One of her older sisters was recently forced into an early marriage after becoming pregnant—an outcome driven more by desperation than choice. Winnie watches all this unfold with wide, intelligent eyes.
She suffers from a condition that causes severe breathing difficulties in cold weather, possibly asthma, but she’s never received proper medical care. Still, Winnie dreams of a better life and longs to join the other kids walking to school each day.
