As a mother of two, Anne Soy-Mwendia understands too well the importance of affordable and accessible maternal health for all mothers. She spoke to GARDY CHACHA about her passion
As a news reporter for Standard Group’s Kenya Television Network (KTN), Ann Soy Mwendia has a pedestal she uses to free muffled voices of reason. It’s what she loves doing and dedicates time to. As much as she delivers at work, in the same breath, she is passionate of her life-long career; that is motherhood.
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| Anne Soy-Mwendia and her husband Newton Ndebu |
“I’m a mother to two girls and sometimes my job demands that I work away from home. I strive to deal with both,” she states.
Having been brought up by a mother who had to deal with working for the government while parenting her and her five siblings, Anne understands the confusion such a scenario offers the life of a child.
Nonetheless, she exudes virtuous character instilled through her upbringing, something that would only be possible in an environment aligned with ethics.
“Though our parents lived separately, we found a balance spending time with both of them. They raised us in Christianity; imparting us with character. I guess that’s what molded us to who we’re today,” she says.
Maternal mortality
Apart from the fact that she’s a mother, nothing else captures the understanding that motherhood is something close to her heart.
“Cases of mothers dying during delivery, in the pregnancy period, or at nursing stages are still in multiple digits. In my opinion, it’s not right. Now that I’m a mother, I’ve learnt to appreciate what our parents — particularly mothers — went through,” Anne says, adding that without mothers, the society would be ill equipped to deal with modern societal scourges. In fact, there wouldn’t be a society at all.
In one of her assignments in 2009, in her usual zeal to highlight the plight of mothers, Anne and her TV crew sneaked into Kenyatta National Hospital. Her lobes had captured whispers of secluded, stranded and locked up new mothers, whose only crime was not having enough legal tender to live as free mothers.
“We found the women with their babies clutched in their arms. They had been bundled in a tiny room, which was in no way conducive for human life.
“They were entitled to only a cup of tea a day. How could this be right for breast-feeding mothers?” she painfully asked.
