In a post shared on Friday, October 30, 2026, Wahu explained that the initiative was created to move their home away from being centred around her and encourage everyone to take part in running the household.
Creating the Mathenge Family Charter
Wahu said the idea came after she realised the amount of invisible labour she was carrying while managing different aspects of family life.
“At the beginning of the year, we created the Mathenge Family Charter as a way of moving away from a mom-centred home to a system-based home,” Wahu said.
She explained that the charter is built around the 4Rs — recognising invisible labour, redistributing responsibilities fairly, reducing the workload and rewarding those who step up.
“For a long time now, our home has been operating with mummy at the centre of it, and I needed that to change. I was getting exhausted. I needed to stop being the centre and just to participate in the family,” she added.
Sharing responsibilities at home
The couple highlighted how duties such as school matters, shopping, cleaning and health appointments are now distributed among family members.
Nameless said he became aware of the pressure Wahu was carrying after she opened up about feeling overwhelmed.
“The topic about invisible labour, my wife brought it to my attention about a year ago when she began to talk about being overwhelmed,” he said.
He added, “When she pushed some things towards me, I began to realise, wow, actually this must be a lot.”
Nameless explained that the family charter was guided by the need to reduce pressure and create a fairer system at home.
“It was informed by four Rs. I needed to reduce the amount of work, I had to redistribute it, to be recognised, and there was need for reward as well,” he said.
Progress over perfection
The couple admitted that implementing the system has been a gradual process but said they are encouraged by the progress made so far.
“Success rate? I’d say we’re at 25 to 30 per cent. But we’re here to celebrate progress not perfection,” Wahu said.
Nameless encouraged other families to have conversations about invisible labour and consider sharing responsibilities within their homes.
“Think about it, talk about it, and see what happens when you redistribute the different responsibilities of the home,” he said.
Wahu said the changes have helped reduce pressure on her, allowing her to have more time and energy for activities that bring her joy while creating more harmony within the Mathenge household.