Among the most painful moments of one’s life is the loss of one’s mother. This acute pain of loss is one that cuts across ages, cultures and genders. This pain can be attributed to the large part of one’s heart that is carved out for our mothers, the most fascinating of creatures ever made. A mother is a person deeply cherished, and one that millions, in the blink of an eye, would die to protect.

First Mother’s Day

This year, the world marked Mother’s Day on May 9. The first Mother’s Day was organized on May 10, 1908 in West Virginia and Philadelphia, and was later elevated to the worldwide platform and celebrated on every second Sunday of May. This year, as always, it was a day that elicited happy memories, enough to keep the earth joyfully spinning. It may have been a trying day for others: those who have lost their mothers, mothers who have lost their children or those who have gone through life with absentee mothers or mothers who negatively deviated from the norm.

In Strathmore, the People and Culture team spearheaded celebrations to honour mothers and future mothers among us. On Saturday, May 8, female staff members put their prayer intentions together through a virtual pilgrimage, fittingly done in the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

On Monday, May 10, donations collected through a funds drive run by staff members were shared with children in two homes – Angels Centre for Abandoned Children and our neighbours, the Kwetu Home of Peace. Both homes have a close connection to the University through the Community Service Centre.

The Mother’s Day triduum was concluded with a webinar for female staff, where mothers and aspiring mothers gathered together to share practical tips on how to make homes ideal spaces for work, rest, rejuvenation, and family time, especially during this period of the pandemic.

God could not be everywhere…

The first speaker of the day, Caroline Maingi, a lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) and a mother of four, began by giving definitions of mothers through quotes. One by Rudyard Kipling, famous for the book, The Jungle Book, with a light touch, aptly described the role of a mother: God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.

Though we’d all agree that mothers are created with superpowers that enable them to be there for each of their children while at the same time holding on to a profession, the session brought out the challenges mothers face, including self-doubt. With this, Mrs. Maingi used a quote from Dr. Patricia Murugami, Founder & CEO of Breakthrough Leadership Transformation Group, to say, “Every mom is doing the best for their children even though she sometimes doubts herself.”

The webinar session also included a session on interior decor by Laura Kote, Head of Business Development, Graduate Programmes, at the Strathmore University Business School, a full-time mother, and a part-time interior décor enthusiast.

She gave practical tips on how to spruce up living quarters using readily and locally available materials. The staff members in session picked up tips on how to make use of colour, mirrors, wallpaper, pillows, throw blankets and flowers to make their homes warm, cheerful and attractive.

To listen to the full recording of the Mother’s Day Webinar titled Working from Home: Separating your Home and Office see the details below:

Meeting Recording:
https://strathmore.zoom.us/rec/share/U_CP_qA5FQFQIrpLtCZzyvJC-J60eF6QVPH6HOoDRzph9aCNBNGNDybCajF8wsA1.0hIMIo-W3Ij1EyNj

Access Passcode: **Ut1X0s

 

This article was written by Wambui Gachari.

 

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