Grace Lawrence

GRACE LAWRENCE (MAMA BERNADETTE)’S STORY

Grace is 21-years old and a mother to a six-month-old baby girl. Her life has been full of struggle from a very early age. In 2014, when she was still a child, she lost her father. From that moment, everything changed. Her mother was left alone to raise three children with no stable income. To survive, her mother worked wherever she could, such jobs were like cleaning people’s gardens, washing clothes, and working in other people’s fields, just to put food on the table.

As Grace grew older, her uncles tried to help. One uncle supported her education through secondary school, and another took over when she joined college. Unfortunately, this support did not last long. Her uncle lost his job and could no longer pay her school fees. With no other option, Grace had to drop out of college, even though she wanted so badly to continue her studies.

After dropping out, Grace tried to survive by working as a housekeeper in guest houses. These jobs were never stable. Each time someone with more education applied, she would lose her job. Life became a daily struggle, full of uncertainty.

During this difficult time, Grace met a man who worked as a motorcycle driver (Bodaboda). They started dating, hoping to find comfort in each other, but the relationship did not last. They broke up, and about three months later, Grace realized she was pregnant. When she told him, her world fell apart even more. He told her he could not take responsibility because he had already moved on and married another woman, a single mother. He said he could only provide for his wife and her child. Even though he is taking care of a stepchild, he refused to support his own biological child. Grace begged him not to marry her, but at least to help with the baby, but he still said no.

Grace’s pregnancy was very hard. She had complications and could not work or do anything to earn money. There were days she did not know how she would survive. If it were not for her mother, Grace would not have made it through the pregnancy. Her mother stood by her, even though she was already overwhelmed.

Today, Grace is struggling to raise her baby alone. There are times she cannot afford food for her little girl, and she is unable to meet even her own basic needs. Her mother continues to help, but it is too much for her. She is still caring for a younger son who is in school and also raising another granddaughter from her first daughter. The weight on her shoulders is heavy, but she keeps going.

We came to know about her situation through a community member familiar with Neema Village and through our work with vulnerable women under the MAP Program. She is now in the program and is receiving a monthly food allowance for herself and her daughter. She will also begin attending counseling sessions to help her heal emotionally, sewing classes, and entrepreneurship classes.When she is ready, Grace hopes to start a small chicken-rearing business as a source of sustainable income.