Under Kenyan Skies: Changing Communities Through Women and Cows

“Educate a boy, and you educate an individual. Educate a girl, you educate a community.” –African proverb

I am a HUGE fan of outreach that empowers women for the exact purpose expressed in the quote above (hang with me…this isn’t an uber-feminist blog :). Mothers are so influential to families and, therefore, communities. Think about all the things in your life that have been influenced by your mother…I can hardly think of anything in my life that doesn’t somehow have the fingerprints of my mom on it somewhere. Growing up, she has guided me and taught me, like her mom did before her, and like I hopefully will to my children. Women have historically been, and in most parts of the world still are, primarily responsible for child rearing and aspects of the home. So, to create change among future generations get the women on board and they will pass along the change to their children, who will pass it onto their children, and so forth. Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations, has said that the education of women is “the single highest returning social investment in the world today.”

One of the ministries going on outside the hospital (of which there are many) is called the Tabitha Ministry. It is an outreach for women, many of who are extremely poor and/or widows. It began with Bible studies and has grown to assist with their practical needs, as well, such as building a home, buying seeds, giving start-up loans for businesses, and purchasing a cow, to name a few. The spiritual guidance and material provision assist in giving the women a sense of purpose and self-worth that enables them to change their families and communities.

Several weeks ago, Linda Spriegel, one of the leaders of the Tabitha Ministry, invited me to attend a cow dedication with her and her family. A cow dedication is a ceremonial ‘giving over’ of a cow to a woman and her family. The cows are purchased by outside donors from the US or other places and churches inform Tabitha Ministry of women in need within their congregation. The Ministry gives cows to women based on need and their location. They try to spread out which communities are receiving cows so that one village doesn’t get several cows at once, leaving others without any or a long wait. Once a woman has been selected to receive a cow, a date is set for when the woman and her family will receive the cow…this is the cow dedication. So, on that day (usually a Sunday), a representative of Tabitha Ministry will attend the church service and present the cow to the selected family. The church often gives a blessing to the family and also encourages the congregation, especially the men, to assist with taking care of the cow. The cows are worth about a year’s wages ($300), so it is a huge help to the family. It’s a really awesome thing to see the Biblical charge of ‘taking care of the widows’ in action. The cow dedication consists of a lot of singing and celebration and I tried to upload a video, but couldn't do so from here.