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Winnie Mathenge joined Karura Community Chapel in the year November 2004. She noticed Dorocus room where people from Huruma and Githogoro slums (informal settlement) used to get relief food and clothes. The poor conditions of the relief beneficiaries confronted Winnie and rejuvenated her burden of working with the poor to improve there status. She started by volunteering in Dorocus room mainly to distribute the relief items (food and clothes). Before long she constantly found her self wondering which other way can benefit people from the two villages and transform their lives in long term.
Believing that is God who had placed the burden of working with the poor in her heart, Winnie started a simple fact finding mission in the two villages. During her visits the numerous women who were idling around couldn’t escape her eyes. Most of the young women were abusing illicit brew. The two communities were characterised by fragmented families due to unreasonable behaviours of drunk husbands and or wives, domestic violence, rape, early marriage, and teenage pregnancies characterized the two societies.
After considering a number of possibilities it emerged that she could teach the women tailoring skills hence the beginning of Tabitha Outreach. The main objective was not just to teach the tailoring skills but also influence their entire lives with the hope of transforming them. In the long term they intended to see “a class that learns together, works together, prays together growing together.” Commencement of this outreach called for prayer and keen listening of the God’s voice, appraisal then action.
At the time of rolling out the project, Winnie had to go to the wilderness call upon those who were interested to the skills. Announcements were done in church and in the villages through their leaders. In the month of February 2005 the class commenced with 15 ladies aged between 17 and 45 years. They had shown interest to learn the skills but unfortunately the class had not secured sewing machine for practical sessions. Through friends God has blessed them with 3 sewing machines.
The provision of the machines enable the class to learn theory and practical lessons though the students had to share the machines. The class has been in existence for eight months and there are noticeable accomplishments, thought with challenges. Initially 15 ladies had shown interest to learn the skills but 7 of them have dropped along the way. Two of them were forced by their husbands to quite while the other 5 felt that their expectations beyond learning were not being met. They expected food handouts every day they attend class to take to their families and since the project could not afford to so they opted to drop.
After attending a Vision Conference the class of 8 asked themselves how they can reach to others – to show an act of love using the resources at their disposal. They realized that back in their neighbourhoods on bed lies several ailing and hopeless women. As a class they identified time as one of the resources at their disposal and they can set aside Thursday to be the day of visiting the sick. After making a number of visits and praying for the sick they learned that food, especially nutritional foods is a major challenge for the sick. As a group they manage to secure a small piece of land and planted sukuma wiki – kales.
Every Thursday they not only pray with the sick but also take some green vegetables to the sick as well as help wash clothes and dishes. Through the visits they have seen some women place their hope on Jesus Christ and restoring hope of living beyond today. Mama Irene’s testimony one of the residents of Githogoro “this group lead by Winnie was the only people who came to me and gave me hope. They were God sent everyone else including my husbands were waiting for me to die. Now I am getting better and the food they bring is a great help to my family”.
Brief Student Biography’s
Mary Loro
She comes from Kitale. she graduated from primary school back in 1992 but could not join secondary school due to lack of school fees. Later in 1997 she got married and now she is a mother two. She joined the tailoring class to learn skills that can enable her run a small business. She hopes that the income from the tailoring business will supplement what the husbands get from the casual jobs, take children to school and eventually improve the quality of their life. Her family of four lives in a single room at Githogoro and pay monthly rent of Kshs. 600. Loro feels that the 3 days allocated to learn is not sufficient.
Elizabeth Wairimu
She is a resident of Huruma Village. she is 17 years old, a primary school graduate, married and expectant. Since her parents could not afford secondary school fees to Elizabeth the chance of learning tailoring is a fulfilment her parents desire for her to enrol in a vocational school. She is determined to finish the course then source for some seed capital to enable her start a small business. To her the additional income will be a boost their family income, enable to save and hopefully in 10 years to be able to relocate to a better place.
Salome Watiri
She is the oldest student in class but determined to acquire the skills to enable her run a tailoring business. She is a mother of 7 and her husband is casual labourer though with a monthly wage. To Salome the time allocated is not adequate to satisfactory learn the skills; her prayer is that it should be extended.
Winfred Shikanga
She is 17 years old, mother of 10 months old baby, and a resident of Githogoro. She was among the first recruits to attend the course. As a young mother she has been facing challenges mainly lack of food and cloths for the baby.
Mandina Ali
Originally come from Marsabet after dropping out at class 7 in the year 1998. The 20 years old is Muslim believer, married and a mother of 3 children. She has hope of a better future and family is her motivator. After the training she intends to start a small business.
Mary Aluochi
Her homeland is Ahero but come to Githogoro after being left by the husband. She had learned skills of making woolen table cloths but to her the tailoring class was an opportunity to enrich her life. joining this class has provided an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as personal savior, a group to fellowship together and chance to learn new skills that will enable her start a small business.
Milka Akinyi
She was born and grown in Kisumu. She never had opportunity to attend school or leave her motherland until the day she was married off forcefully most likely at 14 years old. She got married to a man who had 5 children. Now around 20 years old she is determined to learn this skills that can enable her provide for her family. The mother of five and illiterate she is one of the best student in the class of eight students. |
