Njeri Kaberere has gone through something most married women would dread happening, that is, the death of her husband, Peter Kaberere.
5 years ago Njeri’s world was turned upside down with the news that her husband, Peter, had been electrocuted at his car wash business.
Njeri was at this time pregnant with her second child, Halia. In a cruel twist of fate, her daughter was born the same day they buried Peter.
She spoke to the Star and told them about her experiences as a widow. She explained how she handled the workload of being the lone parent, saying:
APART FROM WORK, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I DO. I MAKE SURE THAT IF I AM NOT HOME IN THE EVENING I HAVE TO WAKE UP VERY EARLY TO TALK TO THEM AND PRAY WITH THEM, GO THROUGH THEIR HOMEWORK.
She added:
ON SATURDAY WHEN I DO NOT HAVE ANY EVENTS, I SHOWER THEM, WE SOMETIMES GO TO HANG OUT WITH MY MUM-IN-LAW. HOWEVER, I SPEND ALL MY SUNDAYS WITH THEM. WHEN I DO NOT HAVE EVENTS IN THE EVENING I SPEND MY TIME WITH THEM. IT’S NOT EASY THOUGH BECAUSE SOMETIMES I AM SO TIRED.
How has her son Ulani taken the loss of his father? She replied that despite his tender age, he understood what had happened to his father and had taken it in stride. She said fondly of her son:
ULANI ALSO REMINDS ME OF HIS DAD GIVEN THAT HE IS A COPYRIGHT OF HIS DAD, HIS CHARACTER AND ALL.
Njeri said she has maintained a good relationship with Kaberere’s parents who are both pastors. Her advice to those mourning a loved one was simple and concise. She said:
TAKE TIME AND GRIEVE BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO NOT GRIEVE AND YOU HOLD THINGS [IN] IT CAN LEAD TO DEPRESSION.