Stolen Dreams
Cathy has worked for us for 16 months. Two days a week she helps me clean and teaches me how to cook Kenyan style. She is bright, hard-working, and full of laughter. She has a husband named Ken and a 2 year old son named Rickie. Cathy and her family live in a one room cement block/ tin roof home. They have worked hard to acquire the material things to make a comfortable home. ("Comfortable" by Kenyan standards is a meager shack by Canadian standards.)
One day in January, Cathy was at our home when she got a call that she had won a coffee table! ("Lisa, what is a coffee table?") Because of its size, Tim went with her to the store and drove her home to her village to deliver the table.
We thought no more about it until this week. On Monday when Cathy returned home after work, she was shocked to walk into her home and discover that she had been robbed. The table was still there. The sofa was there but the cushions were gone. Her bed was there but the mattress and linen were gone. Her clothes, shoes, pots, propane cooker, water filter, transister radio, flashlight were all gone! She, Rickie and Ken were left with only the clothes on their backs.
The next day Cathy and her family moved to a smaller, dirtier home because they were afraid the robbers would come back (the padlock was still on the door when she got home, indicating that the intruders had a key). Cathy is so thankful that no one was home when the intruders came because it is common for people to be raped, injured, or killed in a robbery.
What we did not realize until yesterday is that our help to Cathy may have led to the robbery. When a person living in a slum is visited by a mzungu (a white man) the rest of the village then believes that the mzungu has left money and items that are worth stealing. It is true that we have given Cathy and her family several household items, clothing, towels, shoes, etc Giving these items is not a problem, but being seen at their home may have made Cathy's family a target.
5 comments:
I enjoy reading your posts about your adventures and looking at the pics. The story about Cathy and her family is really heartbreaking. To have so little and have it stolen from you. Then on top of that having to move to an even lower standard of housing for fear of the robbers coming back. Very sad indeed. God Bless you all. Stay safe and well.
That is awful, it makes me terribly sad to hear about things like that happening to such kind and generous people. Please give Cathy a hug from us and let her know we are thinking of her and her family.
Thanks for continuing to support Cathy and her family by giving her a job. Thanks for your faith in honorable Kenyans.
I always enjoying your blog and seeing all the great things that you are able to be part of. The other and sad part of reality is a story like Cathy's. How sad for her and for you guys to see this at close hand. We just don't understand do we. May God keep you all safe and bless you and may the circumstances of Cathy's life touch us all in a much deeper way.
Love you. Barb W.
Brian and I enjoy your blog so much, thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Lisa, you truly have a gift with your words and allow us to appreciate a bond with Cathy after just a few paragraphs. Despite the recent loss I'm sure she is thankful for having such caring friends as employers. Please make sure she knows too that she has many more friends from far away who now have her in our hearts as well. She has a lovely family and we send a hug to all.
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