Mrs. Kate, a 56-year-old mother of five, shines brightly as our FaithFuel feature for the month of April. One of our longest-running and most dedicated volunteers, Mrs. Kate has remained committed to the A2S mission since its inception.
“I joined A2S in 2013, after the Academy was opened. I was a member of the Gospel Life Church, and they announced that something good was coming to the community. They said that our church school would be used by A2S to serve the community,” she shared.
“Before I joined A2S, I was into the food business. I would always go to the village market and get raw food and sell it in the market to support my family,” said Mrs. Kate.
A farmer by trade, she decided to put her skills to good use and volunteered to cook for A2S.
“I met Aunty Roseline, who was on staff at the Foundation, and I told her I would like to help out and cook for the kids,” Mrs. Kate shared. “Mrs. Aghahowa also joined and started cooking too.”
Mrs. Kate reflected back to the time when A2S only had 3 volunteers and the job was quite large because there was so much to accomplish with so few people. The volunteers were tasked with providing a full meal, 5 days a week, for hundreds of people. Fortunately, the number of volunteers grew exponentially over time, and it became much more manageable because they were able to share the load with one another.
“I am very happy to see how far A2S has grown; now I see more people coming to volunteer after seeing the things A2S is doing for the community,” she said.
Mrs. Kate’s daughter, Sandra, also shared some insights about the level of dedication and time her mom has put into her service for A2S.
“When my mum joined as a volunteer, we didn’t hold her back because it was something she wanted to do. There were times she would travel to buy yams on behalf of the Foundation for the kids, and return at night; we would be worried but it didn’t stop her from going,” said Sandra.
Mrs. Kate’s A2S connection ended up extending to her daughter as well. “A2S gave Sandra a scholarship, and when she was done, they gave her an opportunity to intern, and now she has a job with them. I am grateful to them,” Mrs. Kate added.
Mrs. Kate’s gratitude and commitment has never waivered as she continues to carve out time to volunteer at the youth center and cook for our kids to this day.
We are grateful for women like her who have been steadfast in their support and service and who continue to make a difference in the lives of all of us at A2S.
