Mama Dota Foundation Spreads Festive Cheer and Hope to Vulnerable Families in Langas Ward
Gracing these communities, the Mama Dota Foundation was established in 2013 with a penchant for grassroots development and has been dependable in concepts of social welfare.
Florence Akinyi, popularly known as Mama Dota or Mama Daughter.Photo/Achieng Kemuma.
By Ruth Sang
The people of Langas Ward woke up to an early Christmas gift when Mama Dota Foundation organized a humanitarian outreach to cushion the most vulnerable families this festive season. Thousands of households struggling economically went beaming with a smile, relieved and hopeful of renewed livelihood.
The food distribution came at a time when many families were preparing to celebrate the end-of-year holidays, one of the most strained periods for household budgets. The Langas Ward, comprising mostly low-income and informal settlements, still grapples with unemployment, an increase in food prices, and limited access to social support. Many residents in this area often view celebrating Christmas with at least a good meal as a high-end luxury. The Mama Dota Foundation filled in the need to ensure such vulnerable families celebrated the season in style.
Addressing the community members, Florence Akinyi said her drive to hold the outreach was motivated by empathetic feelings and maternal instincts. She said she was moved by the struggles of parents, particularly mothers, trying to provide even simple meals for children during the festive season.
“As a mother, I understand what it means to want the best for your children,” she said. “When I realized many mothers here could not afford to prepare a Christmas meal, I felt compelled to help. What we are offering today may seem small, but carries love, encouragement, and togetherness.”
The organizers said the initiative will directly benefit more than 3,000 women from various villages within Langas Ward. Special consideration was given to households headed by women, senior citizens, people living with disabilities, and families surviving on minimal incomes. Each beneficiary was given foodstuffs such as beans and chapati enough to enable families to have a decent festive meal.
Florence Akinyi also recognized the government’s effort to curb the high cost of living but asserted that most vulnerable communities need more support. She called upon leaders, corporate partners, and individuals of goodwill to complement government efforts by investing in community-based initiatives that directly touch people’s lives.
The distribution exercise was characterized by emotional moments as beneficiaries shared their appreciation. Susan Mbone, 42-year-old mother of three residents of Langas, said the support had lifted a heavy burden off her shoulders.
“Things have been very hard, and I honestly did not know how we would celebrate Christmas,” she said. “Today, I feel relieved because my children will have food. We are grateful to Mama Dota for remembering us.”
During the event, community leaders and teachers in attendance seized the occasion to emphasize the ills that still prevailed in Langas, from dropouts at school due to poverty to stigma against persons with disabilities and families who, because of economic strictures, hide children at home. They added that long-term interventions, to keep children attending school and have families become self-sufficient, were necessary.
Gracing these communities, the Mama Dota Foundation was established in 2013 with a penchant for grassroots development and has been dependable in concepts of social welfare. The foundation has grown close to the residents through food assistance, educational support, and community development programs and continues to create tangible change. This is an outreach that clearly spells out compassion, unity, and shared responsibility as the holiday season sets in, so it truly left the residents of Langas encouraged and hopeful toward the new year.
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