Lidya
LIDYA’s STORY (Mama Careen)
Lidya is a 35 year old widow raising three young daughters ages 9, 8, and 4, on her own. One of these children is not biologically hers, but her niece. When the child’s mother abandoned her, Lidya’s heart could not bear to see the little girl without care. Though already struggling, she chose compassion and brought the little girl home to stay with her and her other child.
In 2011, Lidya was married in a small Maasai village. She gave birth to her first child, and soon after became pregnant with her second child her husband became seriously ill and eventually passed away. While still expecting, her in-laws forced her out of her marital home and took everything she had with her late husband. With nowhere to go, she returned to her father’s home in Moshi (Kilimanjaro).
Unfortunately, this was not a place of comfort, Lidya never knew her biological mother, who
died shortly after giving birth to her, so she was raised by her stepmother. At her father’s home, her stepmother and father did not welcome her return. Instead of receiving care during her pregnancy, she faced severe mistreatment. Her father beat her with a stick and demanded that she leave, despite knowing she was still pregnant.
She endured until she gave birth. But just two weeks after delivering her baby, while still physically weak and healing, her father beat her again and told her that his home was not a shelter for widows and orphans and he gave her a few hours to leave from his place.
Lidya recalls that day with deep pain; “I wished my mother were still alive.”
With no other option, she left with her newborn and her young child, not knowing where she was going. She traveled to Arusha and eventually reached Kikatiti. With nowhere to stay, she and her children slept on verandas at night after shops closed.
One day, while walking around the area, Lidya saw a church. Desperate, she approached the Pastor and asked if she and her children could sleep inside the church building. The Pastor agreed and welcomed them. That Sunday Pastor shared her situation with the other church members, hoping members could contribute something for their food. By God’s grace, Angel, a Neema Village social worker, was present in that church service. She immediately recognized that Lidya needed urgent support. After reporting to the office, Lidya was welcomed into the MAP Apartments and began receiving support.
Although she later attempted to live independently, the weight of poverty and hardship made it difficult to succeed on her own.
Today, through the Mothers Against Poverty (MAP) program, Lidya receives monthly food assistance, help with rent, and basic household necessities. Support is also being arranged to ensure her children can attend school. Lidya is currently attending group counseling, Women’s right seminars, Entrepreneurship training, and Bible study classes to strengthen both her emotional well-being and her relationship with God. Her hope is to start a business that will allow her to fully provide for her children.
We believe God has a beautiful and purposeful plan for Lidya’s life. Through compassion, prayer, and partnership, that purpose can unfold.
Please join us in praying for Lidya and her daughters. Your support helps restore dignity, stability, and hope to mama’s like her who are determined to build a better future for their children. Go to our website www.neemavillage.org and donate to Neema Village’s MAP program.