Widows Cooperative
St. Monica Village
The St. Monica Widows’ Cooperative in Nyabondo is a self-help group of mostly HIV-positive widows who have joined forces to improve the living conditions of their families. Approximately 620 widows are members of the cooperative. Through joint projects, they earn money to support themselves and their families. They are supported in this by Dentists for Africa.
The widows run a highly successful catering service and produce their own handicrafts. DfA supports them in areas such as sales and by enabling them to participate in seminars where they can develop their skills. The cooperative also enables the widows to take out health insurance for themselves and their families. A communal kindergarten looks after the young children during the day while their mothers are at work.
Strong women fight back against social exclusion
More than 1.6 million people in Kenya are living with HIV/AIDS. Through the cooperative, the widows are fighting against the stigma and social exclusion that accompany the disease.
The widows of the St. Monica cooperative fight every day for equality and social recognition. Through community engagement and with great pride, they earn their living without male help and far from social ostracism. They set an example of modern womanhood for their children and break with outdated traditions such as widow inheritance and widow purification through their lifestyle and emancipation. Social projects are also being implemented to strengthen the community and alleviate hardship. The widows provide education on HIV/AIDS and hygiene. Their children can attend a kindergarten in the cooperative and later go to school. All widows have health insurance, which is otherwise rare in the region.
A committee of widows also selects the children who will be supported by the DfA sponsorship project. They choose the most needy in their community and forward all the necessary information to DfA.
Widows receive health insurance.
Widows are integrated into our project.
Small projects generate income.
Children are cared for at the widows’ kindergarten.
Even for non-medical professionals ...
…there is the opportunity to volunteer at the widows’ cooperative and participate in their projects. Anyone interested is welcome to get involved. You can stay in accommodation near the widows’ cooperative in Nyabondo. For further information, please contact our office or Katharina Weiland-Zejewski, who coordinates the project from Germany.
Uzingu bands
Uzingo is Swahili and means future. The colorful Uzingo ribbons symbolize a bright future, which is to be made possible by financing health insurance. Health insurance is not a given in Kenya. It costs 500 Kenyan shillings per month—money that many Kenyans cannot afford. This situation is particularly tragic for widows, as they have to care for their children on their own. They are often infected with HIV themselves and need medical help. In order to maintain the health of the mothers and enable them to care for their children as long and as well as possible, we have worked with the widows to come up with a form of support to which everyone can contribute. The Uzingo ribbons are made by the widows from colorful beads. Each bracelet costs €5, which is roughly the same as the cost of health insurance. Each bracelet comes with an explanatory card designed by the widows’ children with pictures they have drawn themselves. Anyone who buys an Uzingo bracelet gets a pretty arm or ankle bracelet for only €5 and helps an entire family, because not only the mother receives insurance, but all her children as well.
Buy Uzingo bands, promote health.
€5
plus €0.95 postage for one band
plus €1.55 postage for two bands
plus €1.55 postage for ten or more bands
Shipping will take place immediately after receipt of payment on the DfA account with the reference “Uzingo bands”.
Please include details such as sizes and color preferences in the order email.