Keishae Johns

Be strong & stay positive

So, where to start? I'm a single mother of five with newborn twins. At first, I was really unsure how I would cope with twins. I thought, "how am I supposed to raise five kids by myself?” but with the help of my older kids and the ladies at the Champion Centre it has been somewhat a breeze. The ladies are always happy to have my twins for cuddles, even for an hour, and they encouraged me to get back into the kitchen at the Champion Centre and explore my hobbies.

Sometimes you just need a hand or peaceful coffee, and that should be okay.

I’ll be honest, some days I struggle to balance everything. It’s important to have somewhere you can go to be comfortable. I’m grateful I have that at the Champion Centre. They’ve seen me in my PJs and when I need support, and they love how comfortable I am. My kids are always included in the programs and it lets me give back to the community and help with the food boxes which is rewarding.

My kids all have different dads, but I don't ever regret having my gorgeous babies. It’s ridiculous how much stuff I've put up with through the years, and I know as a woman we deserve to be treated like queens, not just baby carry machines. We have our ambitions and goals. We deserve to accomplish them, it just takes a little longer when you're a mother. We sacrifice a lot and it's always worth it. We need to have something for ourselves, and I environments like the Champion Centre let women do that. They encourage women to feel welcome and included, and from that, I’ve got my mojo back with cooking which is something I’m passionate about.

I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have my support system. It’s been hard, very hard. I remember the stress our family experienced with losing my brother and organising his wake, and how much the centre helped organise the wake at the centre. It’s also been difficult with staying afloat with resources. They help me out with clothes sometimes, but I make sure I return anything I don’t need to their pop-up shop for the community.

I tend to drop out of everything and give up, but the ladies at the centre continue to motivate me and provide me with the resources to finish my course at the centre. The best part is that my older kids get the opportunity I only wish I had as a kid. They’re surrounded by people like Bree, the Program Lady, who picks up my kids if they need and uplifts my older three kids to support their attitude, outlook, self-confidence, and even their cooking skills. They're being raised by a community and will always have people around. Since having twins, I’ve had less time to do these things, but they don’t miss out. They absolutely adore all the Champion Centre staff and volunteers and always leave as bubbly bundles of joy. It’s important you have a support system, and my kids and I appreciate the centre for letting us have one.