Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, the spouse of Deputy President Rigthi Gachagua, expressed sympathy for widows in Kisumu who engage in the exchange of sex for fish to survive.
Dorcas emphasized that this practice not only demeans the women involved but also affects their children. She was speaking during a meeting with widows in Embu, where she pledged to extend her widows program to the Western region and Kisumu.
“There are widows who when they want to feed their children, engage in sex to get fish. It is a sad situation and I must go there (Kisumu). I asked myself, if my mother was in Kisumu, would she have taken us to school doing that kind of work?” Pastor Dorcas wondered.
The second lady disclosed that she was raised by a widow and began working with widows during her time at Kenyatta University.
“I know what widowhood means. People spoke negative things about us, the children of a widow, but our mother continued encouraging us and praying for us,” she said.
“I have worked with 400 widows in Njoro since my university days. I have others in Loitoktok, Nairobi, Kisanju, Muranga, and Bomet and now I have some in Embu. I am going to Western and Kisumu because we need to help our widows.”
Pastor Dorcas however cautioned the widows, emphasizing that widowhood is not a license for laziness.
The Second Lady’s office is collaborating with various state and non-state actors, including faith-based organizations, to implement diverse programs for the boy child, widows, orphans, and people with disabilities.
