Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums & Mums to be!

We are so blessed to have such an amazing group of Mums in our community. From our Maker Mums to the Heal Team to our Global Tribe, we are very thankful to have them in our lives. We asked a few of our rock star Mums from our Tribe to think back on lessons their Mothers taught them and how they are staying connected as a family during COVID_19.

Beth Hadi is our frontline superstar mum. She is a dedicated volunteer, nurse, Board Member, and fan (especially of the Love Crossbody!). She helps direct the Ubuntu Life Foundation health program, leading medical teams to Kenya almost every year. Beth was planning to come to Kenya in June to volunteer on an Ubuntu Heal team, but as the global pandemic keeps us from travelling, she is leading the charge in organizing Ubuntu’s first ever telehealth medical clinic.

Jane Wanja is one of the newest members of the Ubuntu Life Foundation team, working as the lead Occupational Therapist, and she happens to be expecting the newest member of her family! Despite her fears of giving birth to her first child during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been passionate about finding ways to continue to serve the children in our care despite having to close the special needs school and we are grateful for her dedication and passion - something we know she will pass down to her children.

Emily Twitchell is a Kenyan born Austinite who has been supporting the Ubuntu Life Foundation through the Family to Family program, connecting directly with families in Kenya and the US in the spirit of community and philanthropy. She is a fierce advocate, a generous soul, and a loving mother and we are grateful to have her as a part of the Ubuntu family.

"My name is Beatrice Nduta. I am a mother of three girls. I knew Ubuntu through my second born daughter Joy, who was suffering from meningitis. Ubuntu Life Foundation offers therapy to kids with special needs, and I started to take my daughter. Later I joined Maker Mum's studio after receiving a huge order from Whole Foods, I was introduced to how to use the machines.

That was the turning point of my life.

In 2013 My daughter's sickness deteriorated and she passed on, during that time Ubuntu was mostly employing women who had children with special needs and disabilities. I had many questions - I fearfully asked myself "What if I will be sent back to the community where no one wants to be associated with me?" But when our Co-Founder Zane came to comfort me, he lovingly told me that I am not going anywhere. I thought "Who are those people sharing all of this LOVE that I didn't get even from my community? How will I pay this back? Deeply in my mind I decided I can only pay back with hard work. I went back to school through the salary that I was paid and learned to work with computers. During that time I was promoted from stitching to working the store - keeping Inventory. I went ahead with my studies in business management during that time, and I am now working as a Kenya sales representative. I am a proud Mother and Ubuntu is like a Mother to me."

Kathleen Seiders is a native Austinite and creative adventurer in addition to being an amazing mum to her kids Charlie and Vivian. From supporting Ubuntu Life Foundation through our Family to Family program to giving generously of her time and energy to local causes, we are inspired by her positivity and heart. We look forward to the day when Kathleen and her family can travel to Kenya to visit the lives they are effecting every day!

Leslie Gossett is the proud mother of McKinley, a close friend to our Ubuntu family in the US, and a longtime and loyal customer, supporter, and volunteer. She has helped to create memorable events with us for years and we are grateful for her trusted eye for design, her creativity, and the love she shares.

Many of our followers know Mary Thuo Kuria as the wife of Ubuntu Life Foundation Co-Founder and Executive Director Jeremiah Kuria. Because of her family connection, Mary has been a part of Ubuntu from the word GO - supporting from the background and behind the scenes for 20 years. In 2019 we finally convinced Mary to join us as an official staff-member of Ubuntu and she has been an incredible resource and leader since that moment. She is a teacher by profession and had known some of the parents in our programs for a long time which has helped in creating trust and respect in the community.

Amy Corbin is a powerhouse and an inspiration to us. By day (ok, probably quite a few nights too) she works as the lead talent buyer for C3 Presents, booking and overseeing more than 800 shows in Texas (fun fact: she was also the first woman ever to win Pollstar’s Talent Buyer of the Year). But at home she is Mom to two rockstars of her own - Gemma and Milla Attal.

They are dear friends of Ubuntu and helped create the Family to Family program which connects them and others in Austin to Ubuntu families in Kenya.

Teresia Kirima has been a Maker Mum at Ubuntu Life since the very beginning. She is the proud mother of 2 sons - Daniel is almost 18 and works out of the home to help provide for his family, and James (we call him Jimmy, he is 8 years old) is a student at the Special Needs Centre. Jimmy has delayed milestones, developmental disabilities, and speaks through sign language. He was one of our first students at the school and is, as anyone who has visited will attest to, an incredibly happy boy with massive energy and spunk - we like to attribute his infectious smile to his beautiful, hardworking mother.

Karyn Scott has been plugged in with and supporting Ubuntu for many years - from Board assistance to sponsorship's to well timed advice, we are grateful for her and her family. In addition, she founded the nonprofit Kids in a New Groove, which allows under served youth to connect with musicians and take lessons for free. With her new organization, Care2Rock, she also connects teachers with youth in foster care for free lessons. We are inspired by her entrepreneurial spirit and her passion for community and proud to be a part of her life.

"My mother is my biggest role model. So many lessons that I try to pass along. She is what I think a 'super woman' is. She worked full time and made sure I had a packed lunch for school and dinner on the table, came to all my sports events and always there to listen. I think it is important for young women and men to see Mom’s working, providing for the family and giving love back to the family. She supported me when I was a child and continues to support me well into my adulthood. "

-Amy Corbin

"She taught me that love is unconditional and not something that you earn. Knowing that you are loved helps you embrace and love the world around you."

-Karyn Scott

“ My mother taught me to always be kind. Everyday when my kids go to school I say, "What is the number one rule?" and they always say, "be kind." I don't care about much else especially at this age except for my kids to be kind to others. I believe that kindness is key to happiness and success. My mother also taught me to be a good listener and have patience. This is something I practice daily as a mother and I try to instill it on my children as well.”

-Kathleen Seiders

"My mom always impressed to me the importance of participating in my community by either volunteering, philanthropy, or cultural events. "

-Emily Twitchell

"Kindness without reward or expectation is a precious life lesson that my mom taught me, and I hope my kids will pass this down to their children. "

-Beth Hadi

"Be optimistic - always see good things coming regardless of the present situation."

-Beatrice Nduta

"My mother taught me to always be responsible and accountable for myself and my actions, a lesson which I look forward to sharing with my child."

-Jane Wanja

"One of the lessons that I learned is that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and hard work pays."

-Mary Thuo Kuria

" Being myself. Being mannered and organized. Cleanliness! Being self-reliant. All of these things have gotten us where we are and I am forever grateful."

-Teresia Kirima

"My mother always gave me books that encouraged growth, fearlessness, and uplifting quotes to feel confident as a young woman. I think those are the heirlooms I appreciate the most."

-Amy Corbin

"My favorite heirloom is her old Chi Omega pin and pictures from the past. "

-Karyn Scott

"For mothers day last year, my mom gave me a special watch that belonged to my grandmother. "

-Leslie Gossett

"A good new bible!"

-Teresia Kirima

"We love the game heads up, solving puzzles, and drawing together."

-Amy Corbin

"When they were little, it was 'hug or bug,' we would play in the pool. If they said hug, they got a big hug. If they said 'bug,' they got thrown into the deep end, and they loved it. As older kids, probably any guessing game with inappropriate cards that makes us laugh."

-Karyn Scott

"Dancing Music - It makes me feel rejuvenated and joyful."

-Beatrice Nduta

"My favorite game has always been peek-a-boo, so I know that will be a familiar sound in our home!"

-Jane Wanja

"Whenever my kids are at home our favorite game is spoons."

-Mary Thuo Kuria

"Football (soccer in America) - the boys are quite good at it!"

-Teresia Kirima

“We have been playing Monopoly, trivia, rummikub and guess who”

-Kathleen Seiders

"Playing together, being their teacher and mentor. We have slowly forgotten the traditional shaking of hands, washing of hands has become normal in our home. We have cultivated home fellowship."

-Beatrice Nduta

"It is not easy to have a college kid and a six year old at home all over sudden. We have started tying a lot of new recipes and eating at home a lot. Exercising together has been the best!"

-Mary Thuo Kuria

"Right now we are focusing on being safe and staying healthy. I’m focusing on being always at home and making hand-washing a habit with the boys."

-Teresia Kirima

"We are loving all this time together and stillness. We love having a nice lunch during work and school breaks and dinner. FOOD is comforting for all of us. "

-Amy Corbin

"We have discovered the family hike (as has all of America), but as a new tradition we have discovered Mod Podge! It is so much fun. And, I had no idea my younger daughter was a talented painter. We also have discovered how to take a breath. As the planet rests, we do too. Hopefully when this is over we will appreciate and notice simple things more. "

-Karyn Scott

"We've gotten into a rhythm with home schooling. We take short breaks in between subjects and also make time to get outside and get plenty of sunshine and move around. A new tradition we've implemented is weekly karaoke. We purchased a karaoke machine at the start of lockdown and have had a blast using it."

-Leslie Gossett

"During this time of COVID-19 and sheltering in, my kids and I have been exploring virtually different countries that we plan to visit in the near future."

-Emily Twitchell