My mum is my best friend, father and hero. She has been there for my family since my dad died in July 1991. Our house back in Kenya has always been packed with cousins and uncles all living together under her care. In fact, she likes taking care of people so much that she heads a refuge camp in Kenya. Though my mum does not even have savings of her own, she cannot stand to see a family member, friend or anyone she knows go hungry. In our community, you are supposed to get married to your husband's brother if he dies. When my father died, mum refused. She struggled to raise us from then on, and what she earned was not enough to feed her four children and our extended family. In fact, when her brother died, she took on the care of his thee children as well. Sometimes she was unable to pay rent and had to bring us food to eat from the refugee camps she worked in. Now I look back at how much she has sacrificed to make us happy and I feel that she deserves to get a Mother of the Year award!
— Emily, Dallas
Published 01/01/2006
