A Grandmother's Love

Meet David Muruge

This photo was taken on August 14, 2023.  It was David's birthday.  It was also the day that his mother passed away after giving birth to him.  Seven Americans were at the hospital that day.  They were there for an entirely different reason, but they were called to pray with David's grandmother who was sobbing in grief...but she was also sobbing in fear and anxiety.  She asked, "What am I going to do?  How am I going to take care of all of them?"  There is no good answer.  How can we predict the future?  We knew nothing of this family...their struggles,..their financial status.  But we knew the first thing we could do.  We could pray with her.  The second thing we could do was to give her some funds to get through the immediate tragedy.  That was done.  Then we prayed among ourselves to see what God would have us do.  We followed up with this grandmother by phone as we were all busy with scheduled events that could not be postponed but after the Americans returned to their native land, the Kenyan staff took over the follow-up of this family.  They visited the grandmother at home to find out how she was doing and how she was coping.

They found David..now eight weeks old.

They spent calm, quality time with the grandmother.  Her name is Mary Muthoni.  She reported to the staff that she was a single grandmother who separated from her husband some years back.  Presently, she lives in an Internally Displaced Peoples Camp in a village called Magutu.  She shared that she was blessed with many children. All of them live on their own in different locations except David's mother and her four other children. She states that these five children now depend upon her. Before the death of her daughter, she worked as a casual laborer but now things have changed since she has to take care of and feed David.  Most casual laborers in that area earn the equivalent of $1 per day but Mary has earned up to $5 per day in the past.

One month has passed since her daughter died, but things have not been the same since that day. She remembered...much as one does when grieving the death of a loved one... that her daughter had lived a healthy life and never had any major health problems.  She said that the main reason that her daughter died was that she gave birth at home.  She gave birth alone with the help of her 15-year-old son.  After the baby delivered, the placenta never came and that caused the mother to bleed.  Mary says that the daughter nor her son ever called her or told her about anything until the daughter became unable to help herself.  At that point, she was finally called in to help.  Mary remembers that when she reached the house the daughter only told her, "Here is the baby." She never spoke again.  Mary called for help and the daughter was rushed to the hospital with the help of her friend by motorcycle.'

The friend reported that they reached the hospital with no incident and the daughter was treated as best they could.  But she had lost too much blood and she couldn't be revived.  She left behind three children in school, a three year old and the newborn.

Mary, Francis (9 years old), Dorcas (6 years old), and Ian (15 years old)

John (3 years old)

Mary states that she doesn't know where to start.  She said her daughter was a single mom with four children, a casual laborer (farm worker or house maid), and a bread winner for her children before she died.  Mary says that she, herself, is still strong, healthy and ready to work but because of the infant she is not able.  She reports that where she used to work in the farm they use chemicals now and then and if she goes back to work with the baby (meaning with the baby tied to her back), he might be affected by the chemicals.

These are the challenges that Mary is facing:

Lack of formula which she said she is not able to buy due to the high price

No Job

Lack of food (since she is not working)

Lack of school necessities

Lack of clothing

Bedding for the children

Mary said that she went to Ndaragwa hospital to seek help for the newborn but she was told to give the baby and the three year old to the children's home.  They also told her that, if she failed to feed David with formula, he would be taken away from her.  When we first met Mary on that very sad day, we thought that she would welcome a Children's Home to take the responsibility for these children, but that is not the case with this grandmother.  

She says that she will never dare give out her grandchildren.  She said that maybe they could be supported while living with her or taken to boarding school where she will be able to access them and they stay with her for holidays.  She said that an organization visited her and said they wanted to help but the help they offered was to take David and the three year old to their organization.  She refused because she wants David to know her as his grandmother.  She does say that during the burial of her daughter somebody offered to support Ian (the 15 year old) for his high school education.  

The observation of the Promise Springs Rescue Center social worker and director is that Mary is a very caring grandmother who loves her grandchildren.  She feels the children are in good hands but lack their basic needs.  The grandmother needs help because she is struggling at the present time.

It was decided that we, because of the generosity of all of you who supported this team going to Kenya both in South Carolina (Lakeside Baptist Church) and in Boston (Emmanuel Church of the Nazarene) and our friends and families, are going to do what we can to help Mary.  She will be supplied with the formula she needs until David is six months old.  The school fees for the two younger children will be paid along with uniforms purchased and the extra fees that the school requires to be paid (fees for a guard, extra curricular activities and for their exams).  It is required for one of the children to purchase a desk that will serve him or her through their primary school years.  God has used his global church in such a mighty way...to help this grandmother for a while.  What can we do now?  We can pray.  Pray for the children to recover from the loss of their mom.  Pray for Mary, also.  She, too, is grieving the loss of a daughter but also struggling with unforeseen challenges of raising five children.  Pray for David to continue to grow into a healthy and strong young man who knows his Savior.  Pray that Mary can return to work, which she is willing to do and that she can earn enough to support her new, large family.

It will be a challenge for Mary, but just as God, in His sovereign wisdom and the keeping of His promises, provided for this family for the near future, we pray and have faith that He will provide for them for the years ahead.  

Thank you all who helped to make the short-term care available and so to glorify His name.

Matthew 6:8 "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."