Dorothy's Mother's Day Story

Spring has arrived in the northern hemisphere and signs of new life are mesmerizing our senses. Scents and smells, grass under our feet, sun on our skin, well-remembered flavors on our tongue - the complete impression of the awakened and restored Earth is indeed beautiful. At Amani ya Juu, we love and draw inspiration from nature, but our deepest inspiration comes from awakened and restored lives of Amani women. Such is the story of Dorothy.

Dorothy, Head Cook at Amani Kenya - “I want to be a businesswoman. What inspires me is planting a lot of vegetables, keeping chickens and cows. I just want to run my own business!”

Dorothy came to Amani ya Juu in 2001 through a friend who was working here. Her first tasks at Amani were cleaning and making tea, and then she learned how to cook in the Amani Cafe. Amani ya Juu founder Becky Chinchen remembers when Dorothy joined Amani,“I have known Dorothy since she came to Amani. She was alone in the world with undeveloped skills. The lady who brought her said that she made great chapatis, so we started her as a cook in the café. Today she is the head cook and has mastered over 50 recipes. She has grown from a woman full of fear to a woman filled with peace. We are so proud of her!”

 

Dorothy says, “Out there when you work, there is quarrel and misunderstanding, but since I came to Amani I learned something: if you have a problem, you can go to another lady, and she will try to help you - then you will feel ok. There is God in this place. What inspires me most is praying. In many places you can just work and leave and go home. Here at Amani, we pray in the morning and afternoon. I like that so much.”

 

Not only was Dorothy being transformed by the peace at Amani ya Juu, she was being restored by the Peace from Above. “I have experienced peace in my life for 15 years here at Amani. There was a time when I felt like I am a nobody. Within a short time my 4 brothers passed on, all of them, and I remained the elder sister in the family. It was the ladies at Amani who talked to me, and they put me together, now I am OK. Now I love to celebrate Easter because it reminds me of how God sent His son, the only son to die for our sin.”

How beautiful is the sight of an awakened and changed life full of hope and dreams, a seed sprouting with renewed life. At Amani, selling products is not our primary purpose. Our heart’s desire is to introduce women to Christ and His peace through intentional planning, training, discipleship and mentoring found in our ministry programs.