Educational Media Reviews Online

“AIDS kills more than 2 million people every year in Africa. As a result of this epidemic, there are more than 11 million orphans.” Thus with this sobering statement begins the story of the Mseyas family, of Iringa, Tanzania. Alberina, Maria, Amos, and Orsolina, AIDS orphans with no resources, survive by collecting and selling tough reed like bundles of grasses for firewood. Eldest Alberina could have left the family and gone to the capital, Dar es Salaam, for work, but she felt it was more important to make sure Amos and Orsolina stay in school. She insists that, “Children have the right to an education.” She believes it is God’s will that she care for her siblings.

Alberina, the primary narrator, tells how after the death of their surviving parent, life became very hard for the struggling family. Rain flooded their house, so they worked hard to build a new one only to have it fall down in a downpour. What keeps her going under such difficult circumstances is her profound faith in God and belief that it is His will that she care for her siblings. When they are grown they will help her, and, “One day we will be free from our problems.”

The Mseyas is an intriguing study in contrasts. The family lives with nothing but what they earn from selling firewood. Their home has little furniture and no electricity; their clothes are shabby; sometimes food is in short supply. Orsolina is ill; the family struggles to get the money to take her to the hospital. Yet, Amos, the youngest brother is playful and spirited. He attends the local school, which by American standards is primitive—crowded with little resources other than the teacher, a chalkboard and a few workbooks. The children, however, appear to be attentive and engaged in their lessons. The light filled Catholic Church where the family attends mass is in sharp contrast to the darkness of the family home, and their devout faith is in strong contrast to Alberina’s assertions that after their parents died, “We were alone. Nobody helped us… The only solution was to keep the family unit together, to move on.” Alberina’s resolute optimism in the face of such incredible hardships is truly awe inspiring. As she thoughtfully remarked, “Sometimes life can be complicated,” but she is secure in her hope for the future. The photography reflects the austere beauty of the Tanzanian landscape; the soundtrack is not artificially augmented, but is simply the sounds of the country and its people and their music. The Mseyas has received numerous screenings in international documentary film festivals, and is highly recommended for libraries with specialized African Studies collections.