By Antoinette Hoareau | Project Administration Manager
This week Springs of Hope Foundation's Kijiji Mission Projects food distribution to the elderly and the disabled was at a center known as Flamingo in Free Area Village on the outskirts of Nakuru City. A good samaritan offered us her house for the event. Our area MCA aspirant Mr. Wanjau joined us as he was in the vicinity. The elderly women gathered together waiting anxiously for us to arrive. A few of them gave their touching stories of what they are facing. One elderly woman told us, that her daughter left her one-day-old daughter with her and disappeared, the girl is now 11 years old and just yesterday she was informed her daughter is admitted to the Nakuru Level 6 hospital in a critical condition. For the 11 years that she has taken care of her granddaughter, single-handedly. Her daughter has never once provided for her daughter. Now that her daughter is ill, it's also another burden on her shoulders. Another 80-year-old woman who can hardly walk had an eight-month-old baby tied to her back. The baby was left in her care by her daughter who went to Nairobi to look for greener pastures and has never communicated with her since. Most of them are crying, and none of their children take care of them. Most do not have any food to feed on for days. Their living conditions are very poor. Most live in a one-roomed house that serves as a sitting room, bedroom, kitchen, etc. All their utensils lay on the earth's ground, posing a health hazard, especially with this Covid Pandemic. After some consoling words to them, we distributed the food hampers. They were extremely happy, saying they have never seen anyone concerned about the elderly before. They prayed that every hand that give may be blessed abundantly. They prayed that an elderly center can be opened here in Nakuru, where most of them can be taken care of. After this, we went for home visits to those that could not walk to the venue. The first visit was to an elderly woman who is around 90 years old and had lost her sight, upon hearing us calling her, she started crying that none of her children remember her and was asking that she be taken back to Nyeri, where she was born so that she can go and bless her children before she passes away. Her house was unkempt with utensils all over the floor, and there was a basin filled with very dirty water on the floor which we had to throw out. She was very grateful for the food hamper and said it will provide her meals for a few weeks. Our second visit was to a young lady, who was complaining of backache, chest pains, and her feet paralyzed. She was on medication and feeling dizzy as she had nothing to eat, we found her sleeping and her house unkempt also. The third visit was to an elderly woman who is around 80 years old, and was a victim of the 2017 post-election violence, while running she slipped and dislocated her knee, too which she hasn't been able to walk since the accident. She was fortunate enough to have her daughter taking care of her. Our fourth visit was to another elderly woman who is suffering from diabetes and can rarely leave her house. Our fifth visit was to a young lady whose legs become paralyzed, leaving her homebound and unable to fend for herself. Our sixth visit was to another young lady who had an operation last year who we had visited earlier this year, she is still paralyzed and unable to get out of bed. After the distribution and the home visits, all their stories are heart-touching and leave us with a heavy heart, giving us more passion to continue to serve the community and mostly the elderly and disabled.
We are so extremely grateful for your continued support which allows us to continue assisting the elderly, disabled, single mothers, and child-headed households.
Warmest regards,
Antoinette Hoareau.
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By Antoinette Hoareau | Project Administration Manager
By Jennifer Hughes | Founder/CEO
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