The Joy of Hope

Malaika Mums project is still progressing very well; the mums continue to work hard to make their ends meet for their families in the world of canvas bags. Up to now we are still looking forward for more orders to keep them busy and provided for. Apart from making bags I have introduced a new skill of dress making. As I write, the Mums have already made shirts and dresses. They are very excited and happy too.
One of the Mums has impressed me by her eagerness to learn and a great positive attitude toward the training she receives here. I would love to introduce Susan Njeri to you who is the mother to Teresiah, one of our Malaika kids. Before she joined CTC she was staying at home with nothing to do and depending on her husband who was still jobless and had to wakeup very early in the morning to go and look for casual jobs to support her family. Many times without success due to the hard conditions of Maai Mahiu.
She remembers one day that a friend visited her home and was to spend the night with them. Unfortunately that night she had no food in the house to feed her family or the visitor. She felt embarrassed and frustrated as her problems were not a secret anymore. She even wondered why her friend visited. The family was used to spend several nights without anything to eat,but would not let anyone know as they felt like outcasts and the poorest in the neighbourhood. The friend was surprised and worried about Susan’s kids and offered to give her a free course to enable her to earn a living and to at least put some food on the table for her family.
Deep inside her heart she was happy about the idea and said to her husband “this is God’s time”, but something was hindering her from embracing that golden chance, her level of education. Susan was only able to go up to class two. She can hardly read or write anything much. The husband tried to encourage her and tell her that she could make it “a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step” her husband said.
Time came for her to start a dress making course; for the first time it was good coz she could only see the finished dresses not knowing all the process she had to go through. Here in Kenya it’s very rare to use patterns or draft to get the original thing which can be very easy for people interested with the course, but we use the fabric itself. So if you happen to mess up with the material you have to replace. One of the obstacles she faced is calculating and applying the measurement, which made her friend, get annoyed and felt embarrassed .As days went by she was only doing finishing, ironing and at the end of it all she only got a hundred and fifty shillings($2) at the end of the month, which could not cater for her and her family as well.
She went back home heartbroken and with very poor self esteem. She had failed and cannot make it in life. She was unable to socialize or even participate in anything as she not only failed herself but the family as well. Until when a Good Samaritan told her all about CTC, she took a step to know more from the horse’s mouth. “Always wait upon the lord for he knows the plans he has for you” Susan was among the ones chosen to join the Malaika Mums. Right now she can make a whole bag, a shirt and a dress. She is very thankful to CTC and this program in particular for bringing back her life. She now can believe in herself and encourage others for the short time that she has been with CTC. She thanks her teacher too for encouraging her and motivating her to work hard, “never give up and always have a vision for tomorrow.
At the moment we are making black canvas bags and am hoping as soon as we are through I will start teaching the Mums how to make a pair of shorts. We are hoping that we could get some tenders for school uniforms from the surrounding schools. Thus I feel we need an embroidery machine coz we have none. Susan says that in future, she is hoping to start her own business and she will also want to get some students who she will train as she was trained with a lot of humility and patience by her teacher through CTC International.
Together let us join hands in one spirit to uplift the lives and the living standards of the Mums. Thank you all for partnering with us and follow up in our next blog in economic project.
Liz Josiah
Program Manager.