Written piece
Stitched by Struggle
Kennedy Martin Onyango Odilla
Kenya
About this piece
Growing up, I watched people criss-cross counties, while others crossed oceans in search of a better life. Yet wherever they went, they carried with them the prayers, songs, and traditions that connected them to home.
Life was not easy for us. We faced countless hardships.
Growing up, I watched people criss-cross counties, while others crossed oceans in search of a better life. Yet wherever they went, they carried with them the prayers, songs, and traditions that connected them to home.
Life was not easy for us. We faced countless hardships, especially food and water scarcity. Many days, we did not know where our next meal would come from. The shortage of clean water remains one of the greatest challenges in our community even today. At times, we wore torn clothes and went to school on empty stomachs because there was simply not enough food.
Through it all, God blessed us with an incredible mother. She took on any menial job she could find just to provide for us and keep hope alive in our family. Healthcare was another struggle. Whenever we fell sick, we would walk many kilometres to the nearest hospital, only to be told that there was no medicine available.
Looking back, I believe we survived by God’s mercy and the strength He gave our mother. Even in the midst of hardship, our faith, our traditions, and our love for one another remained the thread that held us together.