Who Runs the World? RVCV's House Mamas

By Elissa Zirinsky, Volunteer
These are the women we all admire endlessly. They are the beating, joyful heart of the Rift Valley Children’s Village – 20 women who give everything to care for 97 children.

When I think about the model for the Children’s Village – small family units of children growing up in safe and supportive homes – I know that it all comes down to these extraordinary women. As House Mamas, they provide the unconditional love and comfort that all children need in order to grow into confident and healthy adults.

Most of these women have been with the kids since they arrived at the Children’s Village, and have built everlasting relationships with the children they helped raise. We see it everyday in the countless small gestures of love: Bobo resting his head on Mama Renee’s lap while they sit together on the front veranda; a whole house of children sprinting across the field to hug Mama Meti as she returns from her off-days; or a college kid sneaking back over to his original home for dinner with his favorite mama.

For Mother’s Day, let’s celebrate these fierce, nurturing, and strong women. These are the women holding up not only our village but also the greater community beyond our gates. These are the women who make our world run!