Finding Strength and Hope: A Mother and Daughter’s Journey

For many parents, raising a child with special needs comes with unique challenges. For Mama Aksa (42) in Bagamoyo, Pwani, the journey began when her daughter, also named Aksa, was diagnosed with autism, which caused a delay in her speech at a very young age. She recalls, “After I gave birth to Aksa and we discovered she had autism, I felt like my world had stopped. I was scared, confused, and didn’t know how to help her. For a while, I even hesitated to have more children because I feared they might face the same challenges. But I realized that worrying wouldn’t change anything. I had to be strong, to stay positive, and to find ways to support her, even if it meant learning everything from scratch.” Life was not easy. Aksa required constant attention, and her mother often felt overwhelmed. Everything began to change when Mama Aksa joined the ALiVE Life Skills sessions facilitated by Uwezo Tanzania and OCODE. Through these sessions, she learned step-by-step problem-solving techniques, ways to manage stress, and strategies to boost her daughter’s learning. Inspired, she enrolled Aksa in the program at her school level so she could develop social and communication skills. The results have been remarkable. At first, 10-year-old Aksa was shy and struggled to express herself clearly. Over time, the classes boosted her confidence. She began articulating her thoughts more clearly, and her mother noticed a huge improvement in their daily communication. “Now, when I ask her to do small chores at home, she listens and responds positively. She even starts conversations with me, telling me about her day and what she wants to do. The change is incredible, I feel like we finally understand each other. The sessions didn’t just teach her; they taught me patience, problem-solving, and how to celebrate every small victory. I feel stronger as a mother and more hopeful for her future.” Aksa shares her admiration for her mother: “Before the classes, I was too shy to speak. I didn’t know how to tell my mom what I wanted. Now I can say my feelings and thoughts. I like learning new things at ALiVE, and I feel happy when I can talk to my friends and my mom. My mom is my hero—she always supports me, teaches me, and never gives up on me. I want to be brave like her.”