#StillAMum, Celebrating different shades of mothers, May 2-8th
Over the years we have celebrated mothers. It is that time of the year again. Mother’s day, Sunday 8th, May is just around the corner.
Every year on Mothers’ Day there is a group of people that do not get celebrated for one reason or other. They are not the regular mum and as such they feel left out. These are mums who have lost their babies either through miscarriage or infant mortality. Some are dealing with infertility.
Still A Mum Trust, a non-profit organization established in 2015 supports women and families dealing with miscarriages, stillbirth and infant loss. Still A Mum comes from a desire to celebrate women who have lost babies and affirm them that they are still mothers despite their loss.
In the African culture, a woman’s worth is usually attached to her ability to be a mother. This means that any woman who cannot get children for one reason or another is regarded as less of a woman. She is judged and often socially segregated. In some societies, women who are unable to bear children are considered bewitched. In some cases, in-laws ultimately look for a child-bearing woman as a replacement for their son.
This is often not the case. 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in miscarriage. This means that best case scenario, 1 in every 10 women will have a miscarriage or worst case scenario 1 in every 4 women will get a miscarriage. It is estimated that in Africa, a staggering 4.2 million miscarriages are reported every year. Studies also show that 1 in 100 women will experience recurrent miscarriages (three or more successive miscarriages). In Kenya, there are no conclusive nationwide statistics and even those kept by hospitals do not include women who had a miscarriage at home.
From the moment these women lose their babies, they have no support system. Most if not all are required to go back to regular life as if nothing happened. They need to be given a chance and means to grieve as well a chance to understand the medical explanations for the loss.
Still a Mum wants to change the narrative by celebrating mums in all their different shades. Which is why this coming week, they have organized several activities leading to mothers’ day. The celebration event will be on Sunday 8th May but will be preceded by a whole week campaign on social media as well as mainstream media.
Below is the program:
Monday 2nd May: Single mum and #StillAMum
Tuesday 3rd May: IVF mum and #StillAMum
Wednesday 4th May: Adoptive mum and #StillAMum
Thursday 5th May: Lost my baby but #StillAMum
Friday 6th May: Step mum and #StillAMum
These twitter chats will take place on the respective days at 2-4 pm (EAT). You are welcome to participate in any of these activities in celebration of the different shades of mothers.
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