Widow Program

The CMF church plants and our CHE (Community Health Evangelism) groups in the rural Matale and Ngare Naibor regions expressed their concern to CMF of the many widows in the villages in dire need of aid. These new churches are too young to financially support the widows, but yet mature enough to know they have a duty to care for these women. A survey was conducted last year and 30 women were chosen as the most destitute. The criteria they used for a destitute widow was loss of husband, and owning 'no cow or even a goat.'

So for the past six months, I have been working to build relationships with these 30 women. Together with CMF's Maasai CHE leader, Joseph Ngida, we decided that the best way to help these women, would be a combination of food assistance, training, spiritual guidance and encouragement from their village church, and a savings program.

So how does the program work? Once a month, the widows will gather on our project land in the village area of Mairowa, where they will receive food, nutritional supplements and other supplies. They will receive Biblical teaching and also a time of fellowship with one another. I still have a lot to learn about Maasai culture, however, I know enough now to tell you how difficult life is as a widow for the Maasai woman. More than the obvious financial difficulties, she is left voiceless in the community. She is also left without protection against various other cultural problems. This time of fellowship is really helpful for the widows to share sorrows and encourage one another.

More than that, this program is a sponsorship. We are praying that each widow will be chosen by a sponsor who is willing to 'adopt' her for a period of one year. The total sponsorship per widow is $300. One third will be used to feed the widow and her children for the year. One third will be used for training. The final third, or $100, will be used by the widow at the completion of her year of training, to begin a self-supporting activity. What types of training and activities? Sewing, beading, farming, and raising goats are just a few of the micro-enterprise types of income generating to be taught.

The women are so excited and HOPEFUL to be in this program. Please join me in praying for the women! Please contact me through email if you know of a family, Sunday School class, or other group of people desiring to sponsor a widow and change her life and her children's lives in 2012!

tzheather@gmail.com