Lydia Adaka Minage

Lydia Adaka was born in 1958 in Vihiga County as the firstborn in a family of ten children.

Her parents lacked reliable employment to sustain their daily needs, forcing her father to brew traditional liquor to put food on the table.

She attended school up to standard seven, but financial constraints made it impossible for her to continue her education or afford secondary school fees.

To keep the family afloat, her father prioritized keeping her brothers in school for a short time using income from brewing liquor.

Her father was later arrested for selling illegal brew and imprisoned at Shikusa Prison, which forced her remaining siblings to drop out of school.

Following her father's arrest, she joined her mother in taking on grueling manual labor to help build a humble shelter after their previous house collapsed from heavy rain.

She later found employment sorting French beans for three years, during which she met her husband.

She married in Mbale, Vihiga County, and gave birth to eleven children, nine of whom survived.

Life became overwhelmingly difficult after her husband passed away in 2009, leaving her entirely responsible for raising her children through casual labor where securing even a single meal was a daily struggle.

While volunteering to help identify vulnerable elders across local villages for Mama Ibado Charity, she shared her own story with the team, who then visited her modest rental house in Majengo, assessed her hardships, and formally enrolled her into the seniors program.

Through the initiative, she now receives vital monthly food supplies consisting of maize flour, porridge flour, sugar, cooking oil, tea leaves, and salt, alongside essential medical assistance.

"I would like to thank Mama Ibado for bringing us medication, and may she continue to be blessed so that the supply of medicine can grow even more."

Lydia still requires urgent assistance because her advanced age, chronic ulcers, and the financial burden of supporting her grandchildren leave her unable to cover basic living expenses on her own.