Our Founder, Mama Kerry
"My Story"
It wasn’t until I had my own biological children that I could imagine the pain of being forced to ‘give up’ your child after giving birth to such a ‘gift’, however in the 1960’s society still frowned upon unmarried mothers and after my birth in September 1964, my biological unmarried mother gave me up into the ‘closed’ adoption system.
Sheila and Ron, unable to have their own children but had the love and compassion to give to another child adopted me at 8 weeks old.
Sheila and Ron, unable to have their own children but had the love and compassion to give to another child adopted me at 8 weeks old.
My early childhood was full of joy and fun with many opportunities surrounded by a loving caring family. However that was cut short when my parents divorced when I was only 6 years old.
Throughout the following years life brought about many unanswered questions regarding my biological parents which led to painful emotional challenges which I fought to deal with and had to finally come to accept.
Throughout the following years life brought about many unanswered questions regarding my biological parents which led to painful emotional challenges which I fought to deal with and had to finally come to accept.
It was after this 'dark' period of my life in 2007 that I took time out from my own personal life to work as a volunteer in a remote village in Kenya which was affected by severe poverty. My time was spent helping at a local school where I interacted with the teachers and children, trying to understand the difficulties facing families and communities in the rural village.
I was humbled and overwhelmed by the community’s relentless hard working daily life, without electricity and clean running water and their efforts to find food to feed their families it was survival day to day.
The plight of orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya, many affected as a result of HIV/AIDS. Some are abandoned by their parents because they cannot afford to feed or care for them. With very little government assistance life for these children is unimaginable. Over the years I’ve witnessed situations that are beyond inhumane.
