Catherine, and her two young apprentices, are thankful to have chickens and a new coop provided by generous donors!

Hatching Hope

Providing two Kenyan widows with “nest eggs” to make them self-sufficient

Dear Friends,

You may not notice it on their faces, but Stella Nkantha and Catherine Atambo, both from small villages in Kenya, have something to crow about! That’s because they now have wonderful testimonies about how God has given them renewed hope.

Poor believers who’ve grown up in remote African villages hardly know what a camera is, let alone how to pose on cue for a photo…and most find very little about their hard lives to smile about. That’s especially true for Stella, whose in-laws kicked her out of her home after her husband’s death in 2014. She was devastated. Catherine has been a widow for much longer—since 1996—but her family’s small plot of land is very rocky and not good for planting, a task that would be very difficult at her age anyway.

But we felt determined to help these two widows become self-sufficient rather than leave the burden of their support on the shoulders of their small local churches. So with the help and advice of our dear friend Cleophas, who also lives in Kenya, we were able to provide these two women with 9 chickens, a rooster (which are also helpful for waking up the neighbors at all hours of the night!) and new coops, thanks to generous gifts to the Widows & Abandoned Women Ministry. They will eat some of the eggs and let others hatch so that they will have meat for their diets. Both widows should have enough of both to also sell for a little income for their other needs.

At left, the rocky ground at Catherine’s home may not be good for growing crops, but it’s just fine for planting a chicken coop; at right, Stella Nkantha has hope for a future with her new chickens and rooster

Cleophas told us that both of these widows are very grateful for the blessings they’ve received, and now they’re able pass along their stories to others who may be searching for the One who will never forsake those who trust in Him. He also added that on one recent Sunday, two of Stella’s friends joined her church when they saw what God did for their friend. Praise God!

Thank you for continuing to support the Widows & Abandoned Women Ministry, and we give God all the glory for using all of us to help the “least of these.”

Blessings to you and your family,

Bruce and Patty Harris
Directors, Widows & Abandoned Women Ministry