Just Another Lunch?

When is lunch at a mall with friends not just another lunch?

 When it is...

...your first time eating out away from your shanty house in a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi,

...the only meal you are likely to have that day,

...your chance to meet the very people from halfway across the world, whom you have only heard about, who have helped save the life of your child.

 That's when. 

One of the earliest ministries of Kizimani began with our director Miriam's late sister Catherine who helped a desperate woman escape years of domestic violence. The story of Achieng is sadly all too common. Achieng is a long-time friend of Kizimani and has frequently assisted our teams, serving food and translating.

Achieng with team members Ann, Ingrid, and me.

Since then we have helped several other women and their children who have come to our attention. This year’s team had the privilege of meeting 3 of these women who have suffered terrible abuse and abandonment, Martha, Caroline, and Rachel (their names have been changed.)

Martha was the second mother to be supported by Kizimani. We learned about her from team member, Claudia, who met Martha in 2009. Martha had left her husband, who had been physically abusive, when her two children were very young. With a little support, she was able to escape her situation, and ironically find employment at a children’s center. She was able to provide for herself and her two children, although meagerly. While able to give them food and shelter, she was unable to afford school fees for both children. Through Kizimani she was able to receive educational support for her children who are now both in high school.

Kizimani has helped support school fees for Martha's children.

Caroline was introduced to Kizimani through her work as a CNA when she met Nellie who helps manage the Kizimani work in Kenya. Caroline shared that she was frequently beaten and abused by her husband. After one such night of being beaten, Caroline still managed to get herself to work, but upon returning home from work, she discovered her husband had abandoned them for another woman and had completely emptied their house, right down to all the dishes and utensils. She and her children were now destitute.  Kizimani has helped provide school fees for her son in high school, which allows Caroline to have a little more money available to feed herself and her children. Caroline has been able to find work off and on, but again, can usually only provide one or two meals a day for her and her children.

Caroline and her two children.

The third family we met was Rachel and her husband Dan. Yes, her husband! He was very appreciative of Kizimani and kept thanking us over and over and blessing us for all we have done. It wasn’t until later we learned the rest of the story from Miriam. 

Rachel was previously married and had two children with a very abusive man. She finally had the strength to leave him and return home to her family with the children. Some time later she met Dan. Not only did Dan marry Rachel, he completely accepted her children (and introduced them to us as his own son and daughter). This simply does not happen in this culture. He is a remarkable man. 

Dan and Rachel also have two little girls together and the youngest, baby Nancy is almost 2 years old. She stole everyone’s heart with her huge eyes, cherub cheeks and coy little smiles. However as we learned later, it is miraculous she was even there. Baby Nancy almost did not survive her first few months of life. With unemployment close to 50% in Kenya, Dan and Rachel struggle to feed their family even one meal a day. After baby Nancy was born, her mother was getting so little food she could not produce enough milk to feed her. By the time Nellie heard about their plight, baby Nancy was close to death. With a little assistance from Kizimani and instruction in nutrition from Nellie, the story of baby Nancy has a very different ending.

We then understood why Dan was so grateful and made such an effort to thank us for caring for people in Kenya we have never met. He told us he prays for us every day and asks God to bless Kizimani and our people in all we do.

Judy was the lucky one to get to hold Baby Nancy.  So thankful she is doing so well now.