Latvia

Darja Krivicka: Being a mother – to me it is like being a guardian angel that brings the bright light into the path of my children. My personal life experience, however, outlines a roadmap of challenges a woman is facing while going through the motherhood. It is about being able to not lose myself while giving the best to my loved ones.
Evija Eglīte: My first daughter was born when I was 20. Therefore, I am proud to say that I have somewhat grown up together with my daughters who both have taught me the best lessons of the motherhood. I can`t think of any other better life experience that has enriched and transformed my personality so much.
Renāte Belauniece: The power of being a mother helps me to discover my personal capabilities. Even while doing very simple everyday things for my kids and family - like working in the garden and doing housekeeping duties – I see how it all adds up into my own positive change. But at the end of the day it is love that helps me to excel in everything I do and am.
Linda Riekstiņa –Avotinja: I am a mother for only 5 months, but it already has given me a powerful discovery of the greatness of the motherhood and it`s multi-faceted reflection on my personality.
Rita Bondare: I am a mother of 4 and I am very happy to realize that while taking care of and supporting my kids in good and bad days, I have been able to keep my energy level high for reaching individual goals. It has always been about the joy and optimism I get from giving. It constantly reinvents me into a person I am happy to see in the mirror.
Arta Drengere: When I was a little girl I did not understand my mother and challenges of motherhood. I thought that it is very easy to be a mom. Only now, when I am a happy mother, I have realized that motherhood is an eternal work that I do with joy and joy brings out the best of me in every other aspect of life.
Solvita Indriksone: I rise my children with pride and give them my unconditional love. I teach them to think positively and to help others. It is my personal fulfillment when I notice results of my lessons benefiting their lives.
Svetlana Esena: I rise my children with pride and give them my unconditional love. I teach them to think positively and to help others. It is my personal fulfillment when I notice results of my lessons benefiting their lives.
Katrīna Baikova: Our family not only lives together, but also does everything together. Therefore, I have to say that it is OUR motherhood shared with my kids, husband, an even babysitter and childcare teachers. And just because it is shared, I am able to also do things that benefit my personal development and transformations for good.
Dace Vītoliņa: I was very young when I gave birth to our 2 daughters. I fully devoted my time, energy and whole being for their development. When they went to school I got more time for my own personal & professional development and higher education. I have the desire to be a role model for my kids. I want to fulfill myself to be happy, smart and educated – the woman and mom my girls would be proud of. In these days I learn from them and spending time together makes our life much more adventurous.
Lelde Kupce: There is a saying that if you do the work you like, you will never have to go to work! I strongly believe in this and am thankful for an ability to transform myself through family, motherhood, friends and everything life has given to me.
Eliina Zelcane: I am a mother of 3 wonderful kids. I believe that kids do not need perfect parents. They need loving parents, who know how to love themselves and do things they love to do. My passion is garden & flowers as well as work with people. It is the way I fulfill and express myself. It makes me a happy person and mother. This is the lesson I want to teach to my kids – do what you love and it will benefit you and everybody around you.
Rita Konopljanjika: To me motherhood is the source of inspiration I need to be able to do many other things in life. The love I am receiving from my kids keeps me going and reaching all the personal goals.
Inese Nepomuceno: I have always felt the best when I could take care of my kids and meet their needs. Needs can be very different and it is challenging to satisfy all of them. To me satisfaction with life primarily comes from being content with material world. Only then it transforms into higher levels towards social and individual development.
Antra Diksna: I am very strict on this subject – a woman, the same as a man and their kids shall live the life to its fullest by observing many opportunities, facing different challenges and enjoying the fruits of all the investments.
Aiga Ozola: It is my duty to be in harmony to be able to teach lessons of life to my kids. Motherhood is about sharing the knowledge and experience. How could I tell them about the life out there if I haven`t explored it before? I have to teach them that harmony in life comes from balancing mine and others` (my kids`) desires and needs. It is all about the balance.
Ilze Reiha: There is a special language that doesn't require translation – it is the language of heart and soul, the language of mother`s heart. Only deep in my heart I know the best proportions for the perfect recipe of motherhood and my personal identity that I mix all together in different proportions for different moments of life.
Ilze Mihaljska: I am a mother of 3. Motherhood has always been the work of my heart. It is my passion that gives me a satisfaction to the degree that I do not need anything else. At the same time I acknowledge the importance for any woman to develop her personality and go for individual achievements.
Ilona Kirse: The love I receive from my kids gives me an enormous energy and drive that increases my overall efficiency to combine motherhood with work and time for myself. That is how I grow, change and transform from one level into another.
Ilona Andriksone: The most beautiful gift of my life is to be a mother. Sometimes I feed my ego and get the time out for myself only, but most of time I am a full time mother. I call it respect for myself and others that helps me to be a great mother and at the same time to develop my own personality.
Zane Johansone: Becoming a mother is the best that could ever happen into my life. My children are my best teachers while I am working hard to be their best friend and support. At the same time I have been blessed to be a loving wife, colleague and simply happy individual above everything. It`s about the attitude and willingness to learn.
Inese Karele: Despite the fact that sometimes people contemn or simply do not understand families having many kids in bad economy, to me it is the greatest gift from God I have ever received regardless of material situation. It gives me a power to be a woman and person that I want to be.
Laine Lapiņa: To me being a mother is like having that secret code to access another world – the world of enormous possibilities and opportunities for my individual growth and development. It makes me feel special and courageous.
Gundega Dege: I am a mother who treasures this status more than any other title etc. in my life. Dare to love, be responsible, protect, cherish...it is so traditional, powerful and yet, so feminine.
Zaiga Egle: Being a woman, mother, individual and everything that I will or might become in future but do not know yet – it all makes me a person that sees motherhood as the base for building better world for the next generation. It gives me a vision and goals to reach and reasons to constantly improve myself.
Anna Bogdanova: Children have always been my passion. Seems that I have built my whole life around them - to support and cherish them, to teach them values and lessons that would help them achieve goals they want. I have somewhat forgotten about myself during this journey. I think it is mainly due to horrors of World War II that my generation experienced. War teaches people to understand the real essence of human life – evolution for better future.
Lienite Kalnina: I have done so many things in my life and it always has been about following my passions and desires in all aspects of life. I think that choosing passion over security has helped me to become who I wanted to be as a woman and personality. Being a mother is one of those passions that naturally has blended into my being.
Ruta Dave: Our family is large. I have 3 daughters, 9 grandkids and 5 great-grandkids. Together we have experienced good and bad times, because that is how life is. Till this day I can`t call anything being more rewarding to me as a person than seeing my off-springs coming together for celebrations and holidays. These times remind me that my life has a real meaning.
Rasma Vilcuka: My personality and image has transformed through times. The only thing that has remained constant is motherhood and the way I feel about it. It is the most significant part of me that reflects the wholesomeness of the world in a woman.
A summary board of the Making Mothers Visible Project for Latvia - October 12th 2012
At the trade center SPICE in Riga - Making Mothers Visible in Latvia
At the trade center SPICE in Riga - Making Mothers Visible in Latvia
At the trade center SPICE in Riga - Making Mothers Visible in Latvia
Portraits of the Latvian moms
The Latvian mothers portraits at the trade center SPICE in Riga
The Latvian mothers portraits at the trade center SPICE in Riga
The Latvian mothers portraits at the trade center SPICE in Riga
The Latvian mothers portraits at the trade center SPICE in Riga
Presenting Making Mothers Visible Latvia
One of the Latvian mothers having her portrait taken
One of the Latvian mothers having her portrait taken
Speaking at the MMV event in Riga
Speaking at the MMV event in Riga
One of the Latvian mothers with her portrait
One of the Latvian mothers with her portrait
One of the Latvian mothers with her portrait
One of the Latvian mothers with her portrait
One of the Latvian mothers with her portrait
One of the Latvian mothers with her portrait
From Latvia's MMV exhibition in Ogre town
MMV in Ventspils, Latvia
MMV in Ventspils, Latvia
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Making Mothers Visible Latvia took place on October 12, 2012 12:00 pm at the trade center SPICE in Riga.

In addition, MMV Latvia will be brought to the largest cities of Latvia during the upcoming 3 months. Email Everita Dave at everita@crossthered.com for more information.

Making Mothers Visible in Latvia is locally organized by LAIMIGAI MAMMAI – FOR HAPPY MOTHERHOOD IN LATVIA, which is a newly established organization that advocates issues related to health and public images of motherhood in Latvia, and is proud to join the global art project MAMA to outline the messages of Latvian mothers.

The event foregrounded the faces of mothers, drawing attention to the value of mothers in our community and spotlighting the urgent global issue of maternal health. By making mothers visible we call attention to the vital role that mothers play in Latvia and communities around the world, and the importance of their health, empowerment and leadership.

Credits for Latvia >>