Celebrating Mothers

15th March, 2010 - Posted by Helen Harrison -

Here in the UK we celebrated Mother’s day yesterday, so it seems only right to post a blog that makes mention of the way that mothers in Kenya are doing what they can to help give their children, or grandchildren, as positive a life as possible.
The families that we have links with at Kambi Teso through the feeding programme certainly don’t have any spare resources; for many, the meals that the children get from the feeding programme are the most nutritious and reliable food of the week. But it is not just the children that get access to support on this programme, the women who care for the children also are encouraged to come along each Friday to a counselling and community conversation session. Unfortunately, many of the adults do not come, but instead find solace in the highly potent home-brew that is easily available and that numbs the pain of poverty. But there are a group of women: mothers / grandmothers / aunties, who see the weekly session as a positive opportunity to help their children, and who make every effort to attend.
Their attendance was recently rewarded by the presentation of a pair of new shoes to each lady, and in the future a development education programme will be started giving a range of short courses in skills that will help with income-generation, budgetting, family support, practical skills etc.
So, congratulations to these ladies, for the effort they put in to raising their children / grandchildren in a positive environment, and against the odds.