The sun is high up in the sky, dust swirls under the feet of the women who have gathered in the sweltering heat in St. Monica Village. Once again, they have put on their finest clothes, because this is a day they have been waiting for for a long time. Several hundred widows are standing or sitting in the courtyard of the widows’ village. Two weeks earlier, the 821 registered widows drew lots and are now looking forward to their prizes: a goat, a pair of chickens, a sack of corn, or a packet of sugar – each lot is a gift that brings hope.
The raffle, which was held for the ninth time, raised a record €21,835 in donations – a sign of the great solidarity shown by Germany. The logistics are a challenge for manager Rhoda Ogada and her team: 574 animals were procured from various markets in the days leading up to the event and brought to the widow’s village in Nyabondo. Goats arrive in the trunks of cars, chickens are carefully carried in shopping baskets.
Rhoda Ogada has long lists and calls each widow individually. Full of joy and pride, the women accept their prizes, some dancing with happiness. The main prize is particularly coveted: a goat. Because it means a future, independence, and the possibility of later exchanging the goats bred from it for a cow. One widow takes her goat by a rope, strokes its back gently, and smiles. “This goat is the beginning of a whole herd,” she says with shining eyes. Another is doubly happy: her goat is pregnant! “Soon I will have not just one, but two goats!” This year, Anne-Kristin Henker, project manager at Dentists for Africa, is on site to help with the distribution: “The women’s joy is overwhelming, and it’s wonderful to see how the support provided by Germany is reaching those who really need it – to help them cope with their everyday lives.”
Help for the most vulnerable: On the way to the “grannies”
The next day, Anne-Kristin Henker, project manager at Dentists for Africa, together with Rhoda Ogada, board member Margaret Opande, and other members of the widows’ cooperative, set off to visit the women who, due to age or health reasons, were unable to make it to St. Monica Village. The widows call them “grannies.” With heavy bags full of food, soap, and matches on their heads, they walk kilometer after kilometer along dusty dirt roads. “It’s unbelievable how far we walk to bring these things to the people. It’s 10 a.m. and we’ve already walked 5 km,” Anne reports, impressed.
In a small mud hut, Anne meets Joan Alice, who greets her with tears in her eyes. “Aerokamano” – thank you, the 90-year-old says repeatedly. She has never welcomed a muzungu, a white person, into her home before. Her possessions consist of a bed and a few pictures on the wall. Light shines through the holes in the roof – and later, when a rain shower begins, so does the water. She can no longer walk, so her granddaughter takes care of her. Some days there is nothing to eat. But today is a good day. “Today is a day of hope,” she says happily.
Until late afternoon, the small group delivers food to a total of 17 widows – and everywhere there is great joy, even though their life stories and current challenges are difficult. “How wonderful that the widows care for the oldest and most needy members of their group with such dedication,” says Anne.
Your support makes all the difference
Many small donations have achieved something big. The joy of the widows and the fact that we are making their everyday lives easier is the greatest reward. But the need remains great, and every little bit of help counts. Would you like to be part of this support? Even a small donation can help a widow or orphan in Kenya. Give the gift of hope – together we can make the world a fairer place!
➡️ Donate now and change lives!
➡️ Read the detailed and exciting report on the raffle edition here.
➡️ Read the report on last year’s raffle here.
DfA is organizing another voucher sale in 2025. Donors can purchase vouchers for goats, chickens, and staple foods, which will be distributed to widows in Kenya after Christmas.