Letter of thanks

What follows is a letter I recently received from Jennifer, the mother of Annette & Allen Ngigi ... remember them? The family who were looking for assistance back in February.

I have removed the names of the recipients as that is not the point. What is of relevance is the difference you can make in someones life, the positive change you can bring to a family.

If you have helped in any way or have agreed to sponsor a child, this letter is for you.
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To: Matt & Friends across the world
From: Martha Jennifer Kinuthia

I greet you all in the name of Jesus Christ. It is a great honour God for giving me friends such as you Matt & all other friends across the world. I am so indebted to you for what you have done to my children, my dear parents and more so to me.

Life had almost lost a meaning to me especially when I realised I could not help my children’s education, feeding and sheltering them amongst other basic needs. I am a single mother of three lovely children, two beautiful daughters and a handsome son, aged 17 yrs, 12 yrs and 7 yrs respectively. My children and I suffered from a broken marriage and eviction due to post election violence in my country Kenya, a case well known across the world. I lost everything I had but thank God I was left safe and fine with my children. Life has not been easy for us since then.

Before the time of the post election, I had adopted a girl and a boy who were under my custody. My responsibilities to them was to feed them, shelter and education but I had to send them back to their parents when I lost everything because supporting my old children was a problem too. Several times I sent a school fees proposal for support of these five children’s education which was all turned down because these two adopted children and my very own had at least one parent and donors wanted to support the orphaned only.

There are so many women and their children in my country who are suffering and nobody is ready to help them stand on their feet or support their children. Most of these women and their daughters would turn to prostitution the only alternative left hence we never fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. This is where I almost was heading to see that my children’s ends meet. Young girls like my daughters would have ended in the same route in order to cater for our daily basic needs.

Several times I went looking for a vacant job in the field of accounting and with a rude shock, all chances I got they wanted my body before they give me a letter of appointment to prove I’ve passed the interview. Single mothers and vulnerable girls are mistreated by society here in the sense that you must give your body in exchange for any support of help of any kind you need.

Most friends and organisations here are supporting only when a problem arises and we are not looking forward to solving and eradicating the problem that causes new infections to reduce HIV/AIDS death rates.

I am a Christian by faith and living in the fear of God but where was I heading to? Prostitution as I said earlier which seems to the order of that day and would rather have died than wait to suffer of AIDS.

My dear friends across the world, you are hearing from the horse’s mouth. We women in most parts of our country are assets and no people worth any respect at all.
As we look after those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS and also the less fortunate people, I beg you please hep me to help these dear ones to fight both poverty and new infections by supporting the families especially in training them to be self-dependent. Women have low esteem and lack self-confidence so we can give them counselling so they may have trust and confidence in themselves to becoming productive people for the growth of our society and the nation at large. Training them, feeding them and education for these orphans and vulnerable children.
X & Y, you are two people in a million. Words fail me to tell you what you really mean and have done to my family and I have never seen or met a people with a heart of God such as you. I did not deserve your favour to my children but you choose to stand by me.

As you know I have been on doctors supervision due to acute ulcers caused by depression, high blood pressure and believe me the doctors recent report says I have healed too fast. You have made my healing. Touching the lives of my children you touched mine too.

To all those friends who are doing the same to so many families across the world, God bless you so much. You have given me a reason to continue living knowing so well that you’ve given my children a hopeful future. My children, mother & I owe you sincere love. We thank you a million times and it is my prayer that even these children will do you proud. We love you and thanks once again.

To all our friends all over the world, thank you very much. I have some basic training and a certificate in accounting though I lacked funds to go further. I have trained in dress making of African attire and modern dresses though I lost all my business. Also I have knowledge of weaving and hand knitting amongst others. I wish to give this knowledge freely to all those women and young girls that they may be self dependent on completion of the training even as we back them with a sewing machine and some materials to start with; counselling them on how we can bring up and HIV free generation but this is only possible with your support.

Thank you very much even as you back me up in empowering our women and young girls in this project of the orphans and vulnerable girls and the less fortunate families. God bless you so much.
To X & Y, God bless you God bless you. To our other friends all over the world God bless you too. Thank you once again

Yours sincerely,

Martha Jennifer

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I'm heading home to the UK ce soir for 10 days so I may be a little quiet in the coming days. Sure you understand.

Can't wait to see many of you

M
xx