At 39 years old, Matea never thought she’d bury a child and become a mom again all at the same time. Eighteen months ago, the mother of five welcomed Kendell into her life and began to raise him as her own.
In 2020, she began participating in Mil Milagros’ Early Childhood Development program with him. This year, when Mil Milagros announced that there would be a limited number of groups of Parenting Journey classes due to COVID-19 restrictions, she hoped she would be included. She had heard about how the 13-week course had helped hundreds of moms to feel more confident in raising their children and feel better about themselves, too.
“Every week, we learned something new. I had a chance to get together with other women, share our experiences, and take a break from all the daily chores at home. I was so excited to share everything I learned with my family because I knew it wouldn’t just help me, but it would help us all.”
Mil Milagros’ Director of Administration and Finance, Dora, who also coordinates the Parenting Journey program, explains, “I nominated Matea as leader of the month because she set an example for all of the moms in the Parenting Journey groups. She came every week with her grandson, walking nearly 45 minutes during the rainy season, and was open-minded and participative. The rest of the group really looked up to her.”
“Even though it’s painful to remember that my daughter isn’t here,” Matea shares, “I feel so fortunate to have Kendell in my life. Mil Milagros and Parenting Journey gave me the opportunity to do with my grandson what I didn’t know how to do with my daughter - raise him with sincerity and love.”
We are proud to celebrate Matea as leader of the month. Her dedication to her grandson, to continuing to learn and grow in order to raise him in a healthy home environment, and to share what she learns with her family so they can ensure a better future for their children is exactly the type of leadership our world needs.
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