Testimonials from some of our beneficiaries
Women’s Empowerment/Food Security
Malia is aged (over 70 years old) and widowed. She also takes care of her 3 grandchildren who lost their parents to HIV/AIDS some years back. Despite her age, she is still very active in the community, taking every opportunity to ensure her grandchildren do not go hungry. When she heard about the goat breeding project, she was among the first in the community to join. She attended the capacity training with the rest of the members and the Goat she received now has siblings and is producing enough milk for her grandchildren.
She says” Before, I could not afford to buy milk and never used to take tea with milk. There wasn’t any for my grandchildren either and I think that is why their health was not so good. However, now, I have enough milk for my grandchildren and myself. Sometimes I sell some and buy food with the money. My grandchildren’s health has improved and they do not get sick like before. I am thankful to our beneficiaries. May God bless them.
Primary Education
Julius, one of the beneficiaries of the education scholarships says:-“I am 11 years old, the third born of 4 Children. We were raised by a single mother who passed away 5 years ago. A relative took us in but he could not afford to take care of us since he is unemployed and has his own family to take care of. We were forced to drop out of school and I was very sad that my dream to complete school was over. However, ACOH came to our assistance and said they would support our education. I am in standard 5 and I want to be a Teacher one day. Thank you for helping me.
Women’s Empowerment/Food Security
Teresia is also a widow who takes care of her five children and two orphaned grandchildren. She used to rely on small-scale subsistence farming for food and sometimes sold extra to educate her children. She says, “The rains have gone and we get nothing from the shamba. My daughter left school last year because I could not pay her fees. She is now working as a housegirl. She gets little money and helps me to take of her siblings and nephews. I would have liked her to complete her education. When I received the Goat, I was not sure how it will help me. But now I am thankful that joined the group. The goat bred 2 kids(male and female).I get 2.5 liters of milk every day, use some, and sell the rest.I use the money for food for my children.. I am even able to buy books and uniforms for my children who are in primary school. It is not enough to take my daughter back to school but it helps a lot. She was in Form 2 when she dropped out of school and I still hope she will complete it. I want her to have a better life than me. I never went to school myself but I am very grateful for the people who gave me this goat and enabled me to train. I now know how to do business and I am planning to start a small business with the money I have been saving. I do not want my other children & grandchildren to drop out of school.I now have some hope. I am very grateful to our beneficiaries”
Secondary Education
Grace is a beneficiary of the education scholarship. Here is her story.-“
When I completed primary school, I passed very well and was invited to join one of the best Secondary schools in the country. Unfortunately; my parents could not afford to pay the school fees as they are both unemployed. I really wanted to continue with my education and could not believe this was the end.I therefore decided to repeat class eight in the hope that by the following year, there would be some money to take me to school. However, this was not the case and I repeated it again. I knew if I stopped going to school, it would be hard for me to go back. I did not want to give up. My parents approached ACOH and they agreed to find a sponsor for me. I am now in Form 3 and thank God each. My dream is to join a university and study law or medicine and am working hard to achieve that dream. I hope by the time my siblings join secondary school, I will be working so that I can help with their education. Thank you for supporting me.
Girls’ Empowerment Project
‘’Many people take some things for granted and never imagine that there are girls who are too poor to afford sanitary pads” Says Alice,14 years old, a member of the peer education project and beneficiary of the Sanitary Pads project. It is embarrassing and humiliating. I dreaded going to school during those days. Most of the time I gave excuses that I was not well and missed school but I think my mother knew why I didn’t want to school. When I heard there was a peer education seminar in our village, My friends & I decided to go. At the end of the seminar, the organizers said they had some gifts for us. I thought it was food or books. I can’t explain how I felt when I opened the packet and found sanitary pads & other girls’ staff. I don’t know who told them of our problems but I know that this project has been Godsend. All I know is that my friends and I don’t dread those days or miss school.
Health
Agnes is a mother of a 3-month-old baby and was a beneficiary of the multivitamins for pregnant & lactating mothers. She says: – Before I started taking the multivitamins, I was always tired and could not produce enough milk for my Son. However, now I feel very good, I am energetic and am able to do many other chores in the house.It took me many months when I had my firstborn to get back on my feet. My firstborn daughter is 4 years old and she was given Vitamin A and de-worming tablets. I could never afford to buy the multivitamins am very grateful to our beneficiaries. I am a housewife and work on our small farm to provide for our family. Many of the other women in the community are too poor to afford a balanced diet and many children are born unhealthy and do not survive. They cannot afford to buy supplements so this project is going to save many children and pregnant mothers. I am very grateful and I hope more women and children benefit too.