Margaret's Story: When Caregiving Made “Normal Work” Impossible, and How Weaving Became Her Lifeline

amdesignspectrum
Apr 15
2 min read

Margaret’s story begins like many mothers we meet in rural Kenya, full of responsibility, resilience, and daily trade-offs no one talks about.

She is a mother of three, and her youngest child is on the autism spectrum.

From early childhood, it became clear that her child needed constant structure, supervision, and care. Not occasional support, but daily, uninterrupted attention.

Why a Regular Job Was Never an Option

In theory, Margaret could have worked.

In reality, the system around her made it nearly impossible.

Most formal or casual jobs she could access required:

Fixed working hours (8–5 schedules)
Leaving home for long periods
Reliable childcare support
Predictable routines and environments

But her reality was different:

Her child had frequent sensory overwhelm episodes.
Some days required full-day supervision with no breaks.
Therapy or hospital visits were unpredictable and time-consuming.
There was no affordable, specialized childcare nearby.

So even when work opportunities came, she was constantly forced into an impossible choice:

Go to work and leave her child without adequate care, OR Stay home and lose income entirely

Like many mothers of children with autism in underserved communities, she wasn’t “unemployed by choice, she was locked out of the traditional workforce by responsibility.

The Turning Point: Finding Work That Fits Her Life (Not the Other Way Around)

Everything shifted when Margaret was introduced to handweaving.

Unlike formal employment, weaving offered something she had never experienced before:

She could work from home.
She could stop instantly when her child needed her.
She could work in short, flexible intervals (early morning, late evening, quiet moments)
She could still earn income without sacrificing caregiving.

For the first time, work adapted to her life, not the other way around.

More Than Income: Restoring Dignity and Control

At first, it was just about survival, earning enough to contribute to food, school supplies, and medical needs.

But over time, something deeper changed:

She regained a sense of independence.
She stopped feeling “trapped” by circumstance.
She became part of a community of other mothers facing similar realities.
She began to see her skill as valuable, not secondary.

Each basket she weaves is done in fragments of time between caregiving moments, yet completed with care, precision, and pride.

Why Her Story Matters

Margaret’s experience reflects a wider truth often overlooked in global conversations about work and disability care:

Many caregivers are not unemployed because they lack skills. They are unemployed because the system does not accommodate their reality

Her weaving is not just a craft; it is flexible, dignified work built around caregiving life.

And every basket she creates carries that story within its weave.

The Connection to You as a Buyer

When someone brings one of these baskets into their home, it becomes more than décor.

It becomes:

A connection across continents
A source of income stability for a mother like Amina
A reminder that meaningful work can exist outside traditional systems

Final Reflection

Margaret didn’t need motivation.

She needed a form of work that respected her reality.

And through weaving, she found it.