Halimah

Halimah is 26 years old and her little son Norman is 3 years old. Norman is a special needs baby. Halimah was married to a young man who was a student in college.  The family did not approve the marriage so a few years later when Halimah became pregnant, the husband asked her to get an abortion.  Halimah refused.  It was a rough birth and the baby did not cry.  The husband blamed Halimah and told her to go back home to her own family.  Halimah’s step mother was mean and asked her to leave.  When Norman was 6 months old she recognized how severe his handicap was and asked her husband’s family to help.  They told her to go to the witchdoctor.  She refused and finally decided to move and live with her mother who had remarried.  The man was unhappy about this and began to beat the mother to get her to kick out Halimah and her baby.  The man broke her mother’s arm and Halimah decided to move to the streets. to protect her mother  Finally She heard of an organization in Arusha who helped special needs babies and she came to Neema Village.  She has attended Neema classes and counseling and now has a small store selling soft drinks, snacks and shoes.

It is always amazing to me the incredible fortitude and determination of these lion hearted moms who have to protect their babies from abusive husbands and families!  These stories help us realize how important our men’s seminars have become, trying to help men understand their responsibilities in the family as fathers and husbands.

You can help women like Halimah while they live at Neema and as they start out on their new lives of independence and working their businesses.  Go to www.neemavillage.org and donate to our Outreach program.  Thank you for caring and please pray for women like Halimah and for the men in their lives.