As a mother who grew up in extreme poverty, Florence doesn’t shy away from truth, even when it’s difficult.
She was married and by the time she was 33 years old, she was a widow. She and her four young children lived in rural Kenya, near Chalice’s Mikinduri sponsor site.
The challenge to be a single mother
Florence remembers those days – “being left as a single mother, I had no other option than to work extra hard to provide for my children.” Because of the constant financial demands, she was losing hope and did not clearly see the importance of educating her children. Her eldest daughter dropped out of school and began supporting Florence to raise the family.
“My three boys were malnourished and could not walk long distances,” Florence writes. The boys – Isaack, Jeremiah, and Phineas – often got sick and had long recovery times.
How sponsorship benefits to her whole family
Thankfully, this dark period lasted only a year until a light shone through. “I give thanks to God that Chalice came,” she writes. “My three sons were enrolled in this wonderful program.”
With the support of their sponsor, the three little boys enrolled in classes that could accommodate their special needs. While they learned reading and mathematics, Florence learned how to manage her ‘family funding’ sponsorship funds.
A plan in action to build Florence’s family house
“The site has trained us on how to become money managers,” she says. “Because of good budgeting, I am able to plan, prioritize, and use the funds very well as per my family’s needs.”
Florence realized that what her family needed was a new home. Their house was a poorly ventilated one-room shack.
Florence began to save what she could, but she knew she had to increase her income. So, she approached the Mikinduri site’s sustainable farming manager and asked for some advice.
Florence started to work on her small farm, using the food to feed their children. In return, she could save enough money to build her family house. They currently live in a spacious new home.
“I am happy and grateful to the Chalice family for equipping us with great knowledge of savings that has helped me have a nice place for my children.”
“Thank you, Chalice, for thinking about the vulnerable and less privileged children in our society we have achieved all this because of your continued love and support. May blessings of God be with you and your families.”