This Mother’s Day, we celebrate moms around the world—women whose love, strength, and sacrifice anchor their families. At the International Children’s Fund (ICF), we’re honored to work alongside some of the most courageous mothers on the planet. We have witnessed these women give everything they have, and then more, to care for their children in the most challenging circumstances.
In rural Africa, motherhood often comes with heart-wrenching choices. When food is scarce, mothers go hungry so their children can eat. When medicine is limited, mothers do without. It is in these quiet, daily acts of sacrifice that we see some of the greatest examples of unconditional, motherly love.
A Mother’s Fight for Her Family
In the village of Barmus, Bomi County, Kebbeh Morris was raising her three children and caring for her elderly mother after her husband died in a tragic accident. She relied on a small cassava farm to survive, waking before dawn each day to tend the fields with her youngest child, Gerdue, on her back. Her two sons, Emmanuel (11) and James (9), often helped in the fields instead of going to school. There was simply no money for school fees.
But everything changed when Pastor Paasewe, who oversees our Living Word Mission in Cape Mount, heard of Kebbeh’s story. He traveled to her village and delivered rice and vegetable oil—enough to feed the children for the first time in weeks. But he didn’t stop there. Pastor Paasewe arranged for school fees to be covered for all three children and provided seeds for Kebbeh to expand her garden, helping her build a sustainable future.
A Mother to Many
In Monrovia, another woman, Bendu, is mothering in a different way. She runs a small orphanage that houses 40 children, ranging from infants to teenagers. The government sends her children in need, but no support. Yet Bendu never turns a child away. Her heart is too big. She is often the only mother these children have ever known—and in her eyes, they already have all the motherly love they need.
ICF has supported Bendu’s orphanage for years. In addition to our eight core orphanages, we assist others like hers—places with no resources but endless compassion. Bendu never asks for help for herself. She asks only for the children in her care.
Help Us Support More Mothers Like Kebbeh and Bendu
At ICF, we call our monthly donors Hope Ambassadors because they provide the consistent support needed to sustain programs like these. From food and education to shelter and medical care, regular giving allows us to plan, respond, and restore dignity to families in crisis.
This Mother’s Day, honor a mother in your life by helping one in need.
To learn more, make a one-time donation or become a monthly donor, visit www.icfaid.org or call us at 920-729-5721.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being a part of this mission.