Every year in Kenya, approximately 8,000 women die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, leaving thousands of motherless, at-risk babies. Titus is one of them.

“I’m praying to God for these children.” – Titus’ father

Titus’ mother, Ndunge, had already delivered three other children at home and had easy births. Titus’ grandmother, Lenah, is a traditional birth attendant. Even though Kenya suffers from some of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world, the two women never dreamed that there would be terrible complications when Titus was born. In late October 2015, without access to a doctor or hospital, Ndunge died in childbirth. The family was devastated.

Titus’ father, Festus, struggles to work and fill the roles of mother and father for his four young children. Lenah helps, but she is 75 years old and the children are active. Extended family helps when they can. Access to safe water in this community is very limited. Titus has been admitted to the Mutomo Mission Hospital three times with severe diarrhea and dehydration. Emergencies have wiped out the family’s savings. There isn’t enough money for food. School fees are out of the question. The family situation is critical. Festus says, “Soon we will have to depend on well-wishers for survival.”

Access to healthcare, safe water and food mean the difference between life and death for families in remote, rural communities like Mutomo, Kenya. With the power of partnerships and the support of our global community, we’re working tirelessly toward healthier lives for children like Titus and his siblings.