In April, Katharina Weiland-Zejewski, head of the widows’ project, Anne-Kristin Henker, programme manager, and Nicholas Koech, former sponsored child and now member of the board of Dentists for Africa (DfA), travelled to Kenya with their families. As volunteers, their destination was the St. Monica Village widows’ cooperative in Nyabondo in the west of the country, which also houses the DfA sponsorship office. They spent a week here working on new projects, distributing donated goods and supporting their own projects.
Read more here Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 of the report by Katharina Weiland-Zejewski.
After the widows walkedthrough the Way of the Cross on Good Friday – following a Catholic tradition – and we learned interesting facts about tea production at a tea plantation and factory in Kericho Our last day in the widow’s cooperative has now dawned. And it is set to be a big celebration: today, all widows will come together to celebrate Easter. The women have already arrived in Nyabondo from near and far in the early hours of the morning. As soon as I got out of the car, I got taken by the arm and led to the assembly hall. There is cheering and dancing, with over 700 widows filling the hall and the entire grounds.
Seminar on the topic of “Land Law”
The gathering is not only used for celebration, but also for information exchange and training. After a few introductory words, the important topic of ‘land rights’ is addressed. Employees of the organisations Kelin Kenya and Community in Action explain to those present how they can reclaim land that has been taken unlawfully. Each widow receives a brochure summarising important information and contacts in Kiswahili and in pictures.
Cinema in the cooperative
Afterwards, the assembly hall is transformed into a cinema! Paul Mwamu is our guest. He is a teacher in Nyabondo and also works for the organisation ‘fightthefever’. I have been in contact with him by email for a few weeks and he already held an information event in the widow village last week. His mission: to spread and put into practice knowledge about Artemisia Afra. He reports that tea can be made from the leaves of this native plant, which helps prevent and treat malaria. However, this ancient knowledge has been lost with the advent of Western medicine. The widows have obtained a television on which Katharina Weingartner’s film ‘Das Fieber’ (The Fever) is to be shown. The film provides a vivid and entertaining account of the plant, its uses and effects. Unfortunately, we are struggling with technical problems. Without further ado, Mr Mwamu has a projector brought from the school where he teaches. The remaining white fabric for the sanitary pads is hung on the wall and now serves as a cinema screen. That’s how practical the solutions are here. Because not all the widows can fit in the hall, the film is shown twice in a row in Kiswahili.
Easter gifts thanks to the Christmas raffle
The widows listen with great interest to the explanations of old and new findings. Mr Mwamu patiently answers many questions afterwards. After a good lunch, the highlight of the day for the widows follows: each of the women receives a seedling of the medicinal plant, together with a packet of seeds. The rush is huge. I stand there and help Rhoda, Marco and Nicholas with the distribution. I am delighted: the donations from our Christmas raffle were so generous that, after consulting with the widows, the surplus can be spent on these practical and helpful gifts for Easter. Mr Mwamu plants the first Artemisia in one of our car tires and shows the widows what they need to bear in mind when planting and caring for it.
Then it’s time to say goodbye. Gifts are exchanged and farewells are said. I leave with a heavy heart, knowing that some of my colleagues on the widows’ committee and in management are also HIV-positive. Without medication, the future is uncertain.
After a peaceful Easter break and a detour to the wonderful wildlife of the Maasai Mara, we return to Germany after 2 weeks via Nairobi, Brussels, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.
Conclusion
Our time in Kenya was an intense, moving experience – full of small and big moments that touch, linger and change. We were amazed by the warmth, strength and courage of the people who accompany DfA. And we are grateful for all the trust that was placed in us. I was particularly impressed by the strength of the women in the widows’ cooperative; their ability to grow from misfortune and not despair is remarkable. They radiate incredible self-confidence. This commitment has shown us once again that joint projects thrive on closeness, genuine relationships and the firm determination to make a difference together.
Do you want to support Dentists for Africa’s projects? Your donation supports the widows, godfathers and patients in West Kenya in building a self-determined life. We say THANK YOU to all active, supporters and donors!
PS – the next one starts in November Christmas raffle.