Welcome to Mama’s Narratives

I warmly welcome you to Mama’s Narratives Blog. This space was born out of my reflections on motherhood, faith, and the everyday realities of African women. The heart of this blog is simple: stories of motherhood, told by mothers, for mothers.
“Mama” is a Swahili word for mother (and also found in many other languages). “Narratives” reflects the storytelling nature of this space.
Together, Mama’s Narratives will share journeys of African Christian women navigating motherhood, maternal health, faith, and personal growth.

This is not about parenting advice, or what is wrong or right, but the motherhood lived experiences of women. I acknowledge the role of fathers in motherhood and parenting, but fathers experience parenting differently since motherhood is an embodied experience of a woman.

Why Focus on Younger African Mothers?
My first focus will be on younger mothers below 50 years. We are raising children in a world very different from the one our mothers knew.
Globalisation, westernisation, and mobility mean that many of us live far away from the support systems of our mothers, aunties, sisters, cousins, in-laws, and grandparents.
Even when family is nearby, the older generation is often busy with careers and cannot provide the kind of support they once received. Intermarriage across Kenyan communities and even across borders has also reshaped family life. We also live in cosmopolitan spaces where we interact with people from other cultures, which shapes our motherhood, knowing or not.
Yet, expectations remain unchanged, and we are sometimes pressured to be wives and mothers exactly like our mothers or grandmothers, even though the realities are no longer the same. It is time to pause, redefine, and accept the realities of motherhood in Africa today.

My inspiration
Motherhood brings joy, but it is not for the faint-hearted. Some days I feel that even a hard day at work is easier than a day spent caring for children at home. Since becoming a mother, my character and faith have been tested. I have shed tears, learning balancing, managed fear of missing out, wrestled with doubts, and carried responsibilities beyond myself.

At the same time, motherhood has brought new friendships and connections with mothers at church, work, and my daughters’ school. It has stretched my faith, my networks, and my sense of identity.
I feel that sometimes motherhood is often romanticised, but the reality on the ground is different. We underestimate the impact it has on a woman. Motherhood can cost a woman her career or even her mental health without strong support. I speak from personal experience, and I will share those moments here.

What Stories Will You Find Here?
This blog will highlight maternal health narratives:
● The journey to pregnancy
● Pregnancy, birth, and postnatal experiences.
● Motherhood and faith
● Maternal bereavement - miscarriages, stillbirths, and child mortality.
● Giving up motherhood.
● Balancing motherhood, career, and personal growth
● Maternal health
● Motherhood abroad

Bearing Witness in Faith
Alongside narratives of motherhood, this blog will bear witness to how Christian mothers live out their faith. I will reflect on how faith strengthens us in navigating motherhood, career, and daily life.
For those who do not know me: my name is Eva Kyeni Abel (Kyeni means “light” in my mother tongue). I was raised in a Christian family in Kenya, gave my life to Christ at 14, and I have walked with Him since then. Christ is not just part of my story, He is my identity. In this blog, I will share how His presence has carried me through motherhood, career pursuits, personal growth, and ministry.

A Little More About Me
I am a mother of two young daughters entrusted by God to steward and disciple. They are at the heart of why this blog exists. I am currently pursuing my doctoral research on obstetric fistula, maternal health, and religion. This research brings me joy because it comes from both my passion and my lived experience. I lived with an obstetric fistula-related injury for six years.
Before this, I taught in Kenyan high schools for nine years. I taught Christian Religious Education and Swahili. I also served as head of the guidance and counselling department. Teaching gave me deep insights into the struggles of young people, which shaped my heart for ministry. Beyond teaching, I have volunteered widely in student ministry among Christian students in universities and colleges, and in youth and women’s ministry within my church as a clergy spouse. These experiences continue to inform my calling and my writing.

Join Me
This blog is not just about my story. It is about our stories as African mothers, wives, women of faith, and daughters of God. If you would like to share your own motherhood narrative, you are most welcome here. Together, let us create a space where faith, resilience, and the realities of motherhood are held with honesty and hope.