Widows come together to cope with life

The St Dorcas Self-help Group members.  [PHOTO: FILEX MURIITHI

BY FILEX MURIITHI

Runyenjes, Embu County: They are women who were amalgamated by a virtue of being widows and worshipping in the same church.

The St Dorcas Self-help Group in Gitare region, Runyenjes Sub-county of Embu County consists of Catholic women whose husbands have passed on and their main aim of coming together is to improve their lives.

The group that has 19 members was formed back in mid 2007 with only 14 members. Their intention was to make their difficult lives bearable.

“We enroll new members free of charge because we understand their state. There is no membership fee. Many of our members are elderly while others are sickly. The ticket to join us is only being a widow and to start following what we do. Age does not matter,” Teresia Wanjiku Rufus, the group’s chairperson says.

Wanjiku reveals that they came up with the idea of starting the group after seeing many women live miserable lives after their husbands died.

The group’s secretary, Monica Wanjiru says that each group member contributes Sh100 per month which they later divide equally at their annual general meeting which is ever placed in the month of December.

“We do table-banking. Each member contributes Sh100 per month and we later, in December, share the cash equally among our members,” she says adding that they contribute each some amounts during the sharing period for those who were unable to ‘save," Wanjiru says explaining that these are not many, may be one or two.

Wanjiku adds, “We don’t believe in discarding the one who was unable to contribute the amount because we understand all our members and the problems they face back into their homes. They too, don’t abscond the contribution activity continuously. After dividing among those who contributed, we contribute some amount for them, may be each member Sh50.”

However, all members contribute Sh30 every Sunday that sees them buying school uniforms and other household products such as sufurias, plates, cups and spoons among other things.

The chairperson says that four years ago, the group divided their Sh30 contribution in form of cash but over the years they have decided to be purchase goods to fill their houses and wardrobes.

Apart from contributing for their personal gain, St Dorcas Self-help Group members plan for prayers among their members and any other sick and old people in various villages.

Karemerina Wambiro, their treasurer, says they also visit orphans at diverse small children homes across Kirinyaga and Embu Counties.

“We mostly offer prayers to those children and any other person who is sick through the act of mercy. We know, that in God all things are possible,” the leaders told The Counties.

The group faces a major challenge when any of their member is sick as they contribute Sh20 each which, according, to their leaders is not enough especially when one is under medication.

“We also face a major challenge when one of our member’s child is in school as we support them through their education. Sometimes bursaries are not helpful because at times they apply and are not funded leaving the yoke on us,” Wambiro laments.

The group leaders say the widows are not also received well by financial institutions and private lenders. Wanjiku says, “If one would try to borrow some cash, they are not given as many say the ‘less fortunate’ (widows) might not reimburse the cash. They don’t take us positively.”