Meet Rodgers and Judith: two of the newest parents to come to our Micro Communities! The couple arrived at Maono Light in the fall of 2022, and are already very close with the children. Hear more of their story in the interview below.Nixon: Can you tell me about your first day in the Micro Community?
Judith: We came here with one of our biological children. Paulyne, the community director, and Beryl, the social worker, welcomed us when we arrived. We met the other parents in the community, who also happily welcomed us.
Later on, they took us to our new house to introduce us to the children there. The children were eagerly waiting for us because they had already been informed they would be getting new parents. They were very excited to see us – when they saw us coming, they came running toward us with lots of joy I have never seen. It was a very emotional moment for me.
Nixon: I bet. How did you and your husband feel in that moment?
Judith: I was shocked to see the number of children – in the past, I just had my three biological children. I didn’t know where to start, or where to start from. It was evening; we had to prepare dinner, or else we would sleep hungry.
Rodgers, on the other hand, was quite composed and was already engaging with the children. He quickly realized that some of them had very long, unclean nails. This became his first assignment: to help them cut their nails while waiting for dinner.
Nixon: So, tell us about dinner! How did you go about preparing it that first night?
Judith: The children are very cooperative, loving and supportive. Two of them came to me and said: “mum, don’t worry. We will show you how we do it here.” This made me very happy – the initial shock, tension and fear disappeared as we began to talk with each other and work together to prepare dinner.
They shared the day’s menu with me, as well as the weekly menu and their other routines. Others showed me how they measure their food, so that even when they are not there I can do it alone. Before we realized it, we had prepared the whole meal! Each of them gave a helping hand in one task or another. One of them offered to pray, and we enjoyed our first meal together.
It was very interesting and surprising at the same time for me, how cooperative the children were even though I was a stranger. So many questions ran through my mind: “How will they react to me? Will we understand each other? How will I begin?” and so on. This experience humbled me and ignited a motherly love that only grows stronger each day.
Nixon: Is there anything you want to tell other mothers?
Judith: Parenting is good. When I came here, I could not have imagined how I would come to take these children as my own, to this depth. Surprisingly, we have blended well and fast. I feel they are my own – and I have really loved it.
Parenting in a micro-community is just like parenting anywhere. The only thing that’s changed for me is the location, and the number of kids I get to love and care for.