Introducing baby Gift and Auntie Agnes

Gift’s mum sadly died from uterine rupture during childbirth. She left behind seven other children ranging in age from one year to 13 years. The children are now all in the care of Agnes with their also father helping to support them.

 The five steps of the Marisha Matters programme are:
1.    Crisis Support – providing emergency items, mosquito nets, mattresses, blankets, clothes and cooking equipment
2.    Training – providing weekly education and training in hygiene, child development , HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention and primary health care.
3.    Empowerment – working with the family to help with setting up a business in their community so that the family can provide for themselves. 
4.    Independence – working closely with families giving them a hand-up so they can be independent and free from poverty.

Gift was only 2 kg when she joined at the program and her immediate need was for milk. As Gift gained weight a loving bond developed between her and her aunt. Agnes joins in enthusiastically at the weekly education workshop. 

This is the most recent progress report we have received from Forever Angels:

“Gift is going really well on the Maisha Matters programme.  Her aunt Agnes is so loving and caring and really trying so hard.  She brings Gift to our centre each week to collect milk and to have Gift weighed and she is gaining weight really well. She is 7 months old now and meeting all her milestones.  She has the cutest smile and always charms us when she comes to be weighed!
We helped her aunt to start a sack garden last month - this is so she can grow vegetables for the children in her care even though she has no land.
Next month, we will help her to start a business.  She used to work in a hair salon and is able to cut and braid hair, so this is what we are thinking could make a good business for her.   We've asked her to start looking for a small room to rent to create a hair salon.”