Akiva Anders has wanted to be a mother for as long as she can remember, although she didn’t originally picture doing it on her own. And caring for a newborn as a single mom during the early months of the Covid pandemic was no easy feat.
Akiva now can’t imagine having had her daughter any other way than as a solo parent. She’s exhausted at the end of each day, but the love and joy more than make up for the challenges. Naomi will be turning five soon, and Akiva (like any parent) can’t conceive of a world without her daughter in it.
“Having a child solo is the best, most profound decision I’ve ever made. I was elated when my interest-free fertility loan was approved! Hebrew Free Loan’s support made IVF possible for me.”
Akiva was in her late 30s when she came to Hebrew Free Loan for help with the costs of fertility treatment. She was passionate about kids and had been operating a child care business called Kika’s House for almost 15 years, where she cared for six children ages 1 – 3 years old. Akiva knew that if she was going to have a child of her own, this was the time. But she couldn’t afford it without our interest-free fertility loan.
Fortunately the treatments were successful, and Akiva welcomed her daughter into the world in July 2020. Akiva describes Naomi as a thoughtful child who can be timid in new situations, but is loyal and full of personality once she opens up. She loves to play outdoors, and on any given day she might be riding her bike, swinging from the monkey bars, practicing cartwheels, or pretending to be a lion, cheetah, or some other kind of big cat.
Raising her daughter Jewish has deepened Akiva’s connection to the Jewish world. Akiva grew up in Oakland in an interfaith, biracial family, and her family celebrated the major holidays but not that much else. Now Akiva does Shabbat with Naomi every week, and they often go to Tot Shabbat and other family-oriented events at Urban Adamah. They’re excited for a Jews of Color weekend at Camp Tawonga later this year.
In addition to caring for her daughter, Akiva is still running Kika’s House and is also studying for her AA degree in early childhood development at Merritt College in Oakland. Eventually she wants to transfer into a four-year college, get her BA, and work in a preschool or transitional kindergarten setting.
In the meantime, Akiva is fulfilled by sharing in the experiences of Naomi and all the children she cares for at Kika’s House — especially the joy they find in the little things that adults so often take for granted. She and Naomi just finished reading Charlotte’s Web together, and they’re looking forward to a summer filled with more stories, art, and shared adventures.
