The parents of the world’s only surviving nonuplets have revealed how much it costs to care for their record-breaking family.
Halima Cissé and Abdelkader Arby hit the headlines when announcing the birth of their brood – including nine babies at once.
The nonuplets are the first known – and only – documented set in the world.
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Now, they’ve lifted the lid on how much it costs to raise their kids, including Fatouma, Kadidia, Oumou, Hawa, Adama, Bah, Elhadji, Oumar, Mohammed IV, all aged four, and their older sister, Souda, six.
And it comes at an eye-watering £4,500 per month for just food and clothing alone.
“I think we [go through] about 80 loaves of bread a week,” Abdelkader, the nonuplets’ general communication coordinator, told What’s The Jam.
“Our monthly budget only covers food, hygiene products, health care and clothing.
“We manage finances on our own, but we also benefit from the help of the government and some people out of goodwill.
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“However, it’s still difficult – and their needs are always growing.”
Abdelkader says the family spends at least £800 per week on groceries, including 50 different types of fruit and 20 litres of juice.
But that’s often not enough to feed their growing family.
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Fortunately, though, their housing is covered by the government.
A typical day in their life includes waking up at 8am to do the kids’ wake-up call, get them washed and dressed.
Then, it’s time to clean the house and make sure it’s tidy.
Although the children aren’t yet of school age, they have hired a few home school teachers to help them with certain learning concepts.
After they’re fed and put to bed, the parents work on creating content for social media, doing interviews, as well as being visited by people who support them.
Usually, they’re ready for bed no earlier than 12:30am, especially as the nonuplets don’t fall asleep at the same time.
Abdelkader said: “Having nine children of the same age at home all day takes a lot of work and energy.
“Especially in the morning.
“We do have several nannies who help look after the kids, as well as Halima’s older sister, who lives with us.
“Halima manages the house, care, meals, hygiene and coordinates our daily lives.
“And I travel a lot for work, though I go back and forth to spend time with my family and be fully involved.
“I also set up a camera system, so I can watch them when I’m away from home.
“It’s very busy, and sometimes difficult to juggle, though our lives have been transformed by them.”
Souda, their eldest sister, lives away from the family in Timbuktu, Mali and instead resides in Morocco, with her grandparents, where she attends school.
She’s only with them during term time and returns home during the holidays.
Abdelkader said: “Although she doesn’t live with us, she receives all the attention and affection she needs.
“And loves her siblings deeply – Souda is very attached to them and adores her role as big sister.”
While sometimes difficult, Halima and Abdelkader wouldn’t have it any other way.
He added: “Before, we just had a simple life.
“Today, we live at a fast pace and are filled with happiness.
“We are so grateful for being given our children.
“Everyday is a challenge; though we wake up with determination.”
The nonuplets were born on 4 May 2021 and were given the title of ‘most children delivered at a single birth to survive’ by the Guinness World Records.
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