Fatuma Muhamed Kassim was born in 1954 in Kakamega County. Her schooling ended early, after only reaching Class Four in Mkomari Primary School after the passing away of her father. This tragedy left the family with very little money, making it impossible to keep her in school.
After leaving school, life was very hard for Fatuma. She struggled to survive, and at home, they sometimes went days with no food. In those days, she would farm for other people and only earned three cents a day. This tiny income was used to buy basic things like flour and sugar.
The great hardship led her to find work as a housemaid, where she earned a salary of only eight shillings each month. She would give four shillings to her mother and use...
Fatuma Muhamed Kassim was born in 1954 in Kakamega County. Her schooling ended early, after only reaching Class Four in Mkomari Primary School after the passing away of her father. This tragedy left the family with very little money, making it impossible to keep her in school.
After leaving school, life was very hard for Fatuma. She struggled to survive, and at home, they sometimes went days with no food. In those days, she would farm for other people and only earned three cents a day. This tiny income was used to buy basic things like flour and sugar.
The great hardship led her to find work as a housemaid, where she earned a salary of only eight shillings each month. She would give four shillings to her mother and use the remaining four shillings to buy clothes for herself.
Her life changed when she met and married a young man. They settled in Muraka, and she gave birth to her first child, but the struggle to find food remained a daily problem. To survive, she washed clothes for others just to get food. She also relied on other women for help so her children could go to school. Although her children managed to get some education, they still lack stable jobs.
Later, her husband was lucky enough to receive help from the Mama Ibado Charity. They began getting food support, which helped them raise the children. This assistance continued until her husband passed away. After his death, Fatuma’s life became much tougher because the assistance she had been getting was no longer available. Fearful of what would happen, she visited the charity’s offices in Amalemba, Kakamega town, and pleaded for continued support. She explained, "My husband was the one being helped, and I have no assets. My strength to farm is gone. I am 70 years old.
" We listened to her request and agreed to keep helping her. Fatuma expresses deep thanks for the support she receives. Every month, she gets essential food supplies from the foundation, which includes four bags of maize flour, sugar, tea leaves, cooking oil, and porridge flour.
The death of three of her children brought Fatuma deep sorrow and shock, which badly affected her health. The heavy stress led her into depression, and she was later found to have high blood pressure. She also began to feel strong pain in her legs and joints, making it hard for her to move around or work.
Thanks to the Mama Ibado initiative, Fatuma's condition has greatly improved. She now visits the clinic every Thursday, where her blood pressure is checked and she receives medicine for both high blood pressure and arthritis.
“I thank God for opening this path because I couldn't manage. I give thanks to Mama Ibado; she truly helps me with food and with being treated for sickness”, She says.
She still faces serious challenges, especially with her health and the responsibility of caring for her grandchildren. One is in Form Two at Muslim Kakamega, and another is joining Grade Nine. She worries about how they will complete their education. Fatuma explains that when her husband was alive, they worked hard—he did small jobs like roofing, while she farmed—to pay school fees. Today, the food and medical help she receives are her lifeline, and without them, she believes she would quickly fall back into hunger and sickness.
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