Resourcing the family- securing our children’s future

Care givers include parents and grandparents who take time out to attend our equipping parents’ seminar.  Several issues are addressed including how we are exploring ways of generating income at Bethany Halfway House.  We encourage the caregivers to apply what they’ve seen by using their small pieces of land and work toward food security. Lack of adequate food at home is one of the reasons that push children to the streets.  Every skill they get will make them better parents to give their children a secure future.

Augustine (one of our young men) took his position to share his story with the parents during our Equipping Parents Seminar in November 2012.   He appreciated TKW TEAM for the advice he was given over the years that still helps him when things are difficult and urged the parents to give careful attention to the training.  He also said, ‘Dear parents please take care of your children because at times it’s the mistake of the parent that drives a child to the streets’. Who would have known 12 years ago that Augustine would become a voice to the voiceless!  Grace said, ‘Let’s build our children, to build our nation.  As I stood with Augustine, I remembered the 12- hour journey to Western Kenya that we made in November 2000 as we reintegrated Augustine with his family.  Today he stood with me as a testimony of the work of restoration’.

’As parents, we are our children’s role models and they reflect our lifestyle positively or negatively’’. This was said during the session on ‘the value of a child’. The parents were urged to give their children values that will help them make choices and decisions.  More is ‘caught than taught’.

Journey of life was an encouragement as parents received hope for their children and families .The story of how Ruth’s life turned around after she lost her husband and left her people to support Naomi, her mother-in-law was moving. How things changed for Ruth, she got married and had children.  The message was clear, ‘it doesn’t matter what you have gone through in life there is hope’. We are giving these families a voice too.

These grandmothers never give up….

It was great to welcome Elizabeth and Joyce, two grandmothers from Molo. They are looking after their grandchildren: Gabriel Kihiyu and Joseph Karanja. They came for training because they want to know, ‘How can we help our grandchildren succeed in life?’ It has not been easy to carry the responsibility of being a guardian.”At some point early in the morning I had to look for Gabriel on the streets,” says Elizabeth while Joyce shared how challenging it has been to take care of Joseph who needs regular medication. Equipping Parents Program has really encouraged them not to give up on their grandsons who have a great future. They carry the big responsibility for these children’s future – how they reflect strong values to live by. Now both Gabriel and Joseph are settling well at home, reports Wambui.