"I have lived on this plot for about 40 years but not in this house. The houses keep falling down so we have to rebuild them, particularly after the rains.

"My husband and I separated when my son was still small and I don’t know where he is now. I had eight children with him in total. I have lost five and three are still alive. None of them were tested for HIV – maybe they died from this disease but the doctor never told me.

"I look after seven grandchildren"

"Now I live here with my two remaining sons and daughter. One of my sons is married and has three children who live here. My daughter, who lives here too, has four children by different fathers.

"She makes some money by collecting firewood in the bush and selling it in the market. I look after her children while she is working, as well as the orphaned grandchildren – there are seven here who don’t go to school.

"The other son is not married but he is sick so cannot work. My last daughter, who died, left six children who live with me. Three of them are older, and three of them are very young.

"Sometimes we eat once a day"

"The land is owned by the town council. We don’t have our own land and there isn’t any more around here that we could farm. I get worried that the council may push us out or that someone will buy the land and we will have to move. If that happened we have nowhere to go.

"Sometimes the council demands money for rent but I don’t have anything to give them so they go away. Sometimes we eat once a day – sometimes twice – and on days like today, nothing because the food has run out.

"If I have breakfast it is only a cup of tea. We never have meat. Normally we eat maize porridge. If I can get any money I try to get vegetables to mix with the maize for the children, but that doesn't happen often.

"Everyone looks to me for their daily needs"

"My biggest worry is my three children. One is sick and the other two have children to support but no proper jobs. And then I have the orphans to look after and everyone looks to me for their daily needs.

"If any of us get sick we just stay at home because there is no money for a consultation card. I should take medication for my headaches and also for chest pains but I cannot afford it, so I go without. I drink hot water when I feel very bad.

"It is hard to find enough money to pay the secondary school fees for the older orphans. Often the fees don’t get paid, so the children get sent home.

"Because of my age and illness I get very worried that soon I won’t be able to look after my grandchildren. I don’t know who is going to care for them in the future."