A Voice For The Voiceless

Proverbs 31:8-9 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

I recently finished a book called The Mother & Child Project, compiled by the organization Hope Through Healing Hands. This book is about raising our voices for health and hope. I wanted to share a story from the book.

Sherry Surratt, former CEO of MOPS International, wrote:

"The road swirled with dust, and the scorching heat made the air feel like a thick blanket. We were walking side by side - me and this mom of four from Mbita, Kenya. And while our destination of the day was the same, I knew our lives were very different. Monica and I were headed to her house for lunch after attending Sunday worship services, and we made a few stops... We talked of life and motherhood as we walked on. Monica's children were healthy, and all attended school. She shared her dreams with me for extended schooling, which would allow them to go past the eighth grade. I could tell by her proud tone that this was a luxury.

In her one-room metal framed hut, I noted order, a sense of purposeful efficiency, from the makeshift desk that held one book and several pieces of charcoal for writing, to the tidy, cleanly swept kitchen space. While there were no beds, there was a designated sleeping area. Pallets neatly lined the wall, each with their own mosquito net. In the other homes I had visited, a sense of carelessness was evident, bereft of a sense of family or structure. Food remains were left haphazardly, with no evidence that members had meals together or slept in assigned sleeping areas. No proof of household chores existed, such as a thatch broom leaning against the wall or soap for cleaning dishes or hands. In Monica's house, each family member had evidence of belonging, and it was easy to interpret the household routine. Why was this home so different from the others I had visited? I began to ask questions.

The answers came when I learned the story of Lillian, a native Kenyan who served as the school's parent liaison. With no formal training, Lillian took it upon herself to make home visits, checking to see that the students had food to eat and a place to rest, that they had a designated spot in which to do their simple schoolwork, that water was boiled properly before drinking. Because Monica's children went to the school, she benefited from these visits. When I accompanied Lillian on visits to other homes in the area, I observed her probing eyes and gentle touch as her hands searched the children for signs of malaria or worms. She sat with each mom, speaking in her native language, giving gentle advice and encouragement, sometimes leaving food or bars of handmade soap. She encouraged the moms to talk about the things they were learning with the other moms in the village and to encourage them to bring their children to the village school. Lillian's concern stretched beyond the boundaries of the children who attended - her attention focused on the moms.

As the CEO of MOPS International, I know that moms are a catalyst of health and well-being in the family. After studying the forty years of MOPS research, I now know what Lillian seemed to instinctively know: Moms become better moms when they receive basic training, help, and encouragement, and the impact stretched beyond the walls of the family hut.

Every mom wants good things for her child and to be the best mom she can be. Every mom wants her baby to grow up healthy and to have opportunities. Every mom has hopes and dreams for that perfect being she holds in her arms. The different is the knowledge and resources that are available to her from the point at which she gives birth.

How would a mom know that clean water is a crucial staple in the life of a healthy child if no one tells her? How could a mother dream that a simple schedule and hygiene routines will set up her child for educational success and a healthy life, unless someone shows her? The answers to these questions lie in our ability to develop and support the Lillians who are already out there in the world. They are sharp, instinctive women who, with just a bit of encouragement and simple resources, can change our future trajectory one mom at a time. They already have the prerequisite: The unfailing belief that every mom matters and that even the smallest of support can make a better mom.

And here is what we know for sure: Better moms make a better world, one child at a time."

This makes me think. What can we do for women all around the world, who unlike Monica, her children are dying in her arms and she doesn't know why? What can we do for communities whose women are dying left and right during childbirth? We need to send Christian midwives to support, encourage, and educate these mothers and their communities. By using our skills and knowledge, we can save entire villages, both physically and spiritually.

It also makes me think about what we can do for women like Monica. Her children go to school, she has taken the advice of the school's parent liaison, and now her children are flourishing in an impoverished land. We can continue to come alongside women like Monica. We can help women to become advocates for family health in their own communities and among their friends.

I want to make this impact. I want to speak up for the women all around the world who need help.

I want to help the women who don't know what to do and are desperate for hope and healing...the hope and healing that only God can bring. I want to not only strengthen families, but strengthen whole communities and villages...all while making an impact for the Gospel. I hope that this story has inspired you to help. Help me help women like and unlike Monica all around the world.