Breaking Free

Sarah* is a mother of five who for some time has battled with alcoholism. She had a small rental room to stay in Mai Mahiu but, due to the complex challenges she faced, she and her children regularly ended up living and begging on the streets. She recently became known to a Life Group in Mai Mahiu who contacted Beatrice, and when they came to know Sarah, they wanted to help.

‘We found a small room for her which was away in Mai Mahiu and closer to a Life Group’ Beatrice said. ‘We welcomed her into the Life Group in Mai Mahiu where she was  surrounded with love, support and encouragement.’

‘One challenge remained because she had many drinking friends in Mai Mahiu who kept pulling her back to the drinking dens and so the environment was not conducive for her to easily transform. Moving her away from her drinking friends became a better and necessary option and so we moved her to a room in Nairobi but near another Life Group and a school that agreed to support the children with education and food.’

As the group in Nairobi cared for Sarah and helped meet some of the family’s immediate needs, she was able to stabilise her life and stop drinking. Beatrice and the Life Group worked together to make the family settle down in the new environment. The room is near a church and a market area where by God’s grace, she found casual work. She is now both sober and active in her church, where she volunteers as a cleaner. The Life Group is partnering with a school where her children are now attending, and the school waived the school fees for them.

‘Sarah is also doing some casual work at the school,’ Beatrice said. ‘In return, they will give her food for her children and we as a Life Group will continue to support her on her journey.’

‍*name & image changed to protect privacy