by Hadija Hassan, Kisa Mentor
My mother is everything in my life. She is always there to guide, protect and lead me towards a safe direction. I cannot hesitate to say that she is my guardian angel; she made me see the world as a better place for life.
Amina Hamis is the name of my mother. She was born in 1964 in a village called Mwisanga in Dodoma Region. She only got the chance to go to school up to Standard Seven, and because of this she is only able to write and read in Kiswahili. Due to low education, life was very hard in the village then in her teenage years she decided to move to town and got a job as a house maid. Because she had respect and was friendly with everyone she met, she had a nice experience and learned a lot of things, especially cooking different foods.
When she got married to my father, she started using her cooking skills to generate family income and to become independent (not depending on my father to fulfill all the family needs). After she gave birth to my sisters and I, my mother focused on our education and supported us with everything she could. She wanted us to have a brighter future and she believes that education is the only thing we can lean on, even if she is not there.
Having all girls, and no boys, made her work even harder, in order to give us support and education. Many people were laughing at her because of having girls only, and some discouraged her while she was struggling to make sure we all went to school. She never lost hope and she kept fulfilling her dream of seeing all of us have a brighter future. She was very protective of all of her daughters.
It is from her I have learned how valuable it is to love and to be loved. As a young woman, who is focused, determined and goal oriented, I need someone behind me to coach and show direction in order to achieve all my plans. My mother is my great support.
Her wisdom has been a great gift in my life. Whenever I face challenges, she helps me to solve them wisely and reasonably. She is always there whenever I need someone who can listen to me. She is the one who built my confidence, through sharing the stories of discouragement she got from other people because of giving birth to girls only. She encouraged me to stay focused on my studies. “Education is the only thing I can give to you, put all your efforts in education and you can become whoever you want and wish,” my mother kept telling us this every day.
My mother is my angel and my role model too. Even though I am now independent she is still there when I need advice and support. I love my mother!
