Women's Voices: Part 2

One day I walked into our center and there was a new face. She was holding a baby who was screaming on top of his lungs. The mother looked frazzled and when I said hi, she just murmured something and barely looked at me.

A week later she asked me: “Ms. Winnie, you don’t remember me, do you?”    

“Uhhm…not really. No. Have we met somewhere before you came to our program?”

She laughed out aloud? “Are you sure? Because you and I had quite a long conversation a week before I came. At Valley Arcade?”

Suddenly it hit me! I was at the Java at Valley Arcade for a meeting. On my way from there, I met this woman at the entrance. She was begging from passers-by. She stopped me and said: Auntie saidia. Help me, auntie. Auntie is a Kenya way of regarding a female stranger.I remember there were some men selling movies close by. They chuckled and whispered among themselves: Just wait, this gullible lady will be conned before our very eyes.

I decided to listen to the woman nevertheless. She had been begging all day and nobody had given her a single coin. Her husband had married another woman and left her with 5 children. He paid the rent but that was all. She and her children had slept hungry for three days. And could I buy her flour so she could go cook some ugali? I gave her Ksh200 (`$ 2), went home and forgot about her.

Now she was right in front of me grinning so widely. So she had been genuinely in need! Phew! What if I had ignored her? What if I had insulted her like most Kenyans do? And then I come to the program to find the very woman? I would have been so so ashamed! Thankfully, I had listened and done something good. Phew! Here is her story as she shared with us as part of healing.

I am a mother of five children. My husband dumped me for a younger woman. He only pays the rent but does not cater for other needs. My first born is married. I was raised by a single mother and because she could not afford my school fees, I dropped out of school at class four.

I came to Nairobi to look after my aunt's child but could not stay there for long.  Her husband (my uncle) attempted to rape me. I went back to the village but came back to the city to look for work. Igot one as a house help but I later got married. But as I mentioned earlier, he left me.

Since I had no education, I could not get a good job. I would go to the street and wait for casual jobs such as cleaning houses and doing laundry in rich neighborhoods such as Lavington and Kileleshwa. But it was not easy to get a job and I could go for days without work. My children and I would spent even up to three days without food. I started begging for food from well-wishers on the streets. It was so demeaning. Some people would insult me and most would just ignore me.

Then one day I met with the people who do street ministry from Always Enough: Cecilia and Ruth. They got interested with my story and they introduced me to Tandaza Trust and Safe Harbor International. This was a turning point for me. I love it here since I am busy unlike before when I could only sit waiting for a job that I was not even sure of.  I get a stipend to buy food and they took my girl to school. Nowadays I find myself smiling and laughing more often. I guess am just happy that there is food on the table for my children. And that my dignity has been restored. I thank God for Tandaza Trust and Safe Harbor International.

This resilient woman recently graduated from our Literacy Program with a certificate in Lower Intermediate English. We are also training her and the other women on how to make Arts and crafts such as notecards, mats, baskets etc for sale. We also have trained entrepreneurship skills. We hope to help her and others either to get jobs or start small businesses.