Gerald Mukhaya

Gerald Mukhweya Hussein was born in 1948 in Illesi, Shinyalu, Kakamega County, as the fourth boy in a family of six children. His father worked as a cook in Kakamega town, but his parents passed away when he was young, leaving him in the care of a well-wisher.

He never had the opportunity to step inside a classroom or receive any form of schooling. Lacking formal education made it difficult to secure stable employment throughout his life, causing deep regret as he relied strictly on manual jobs.

After leaving his childhood home, he began molding traditional clay pots and transporting them to Kakamega town to earn a living. He sold each pot for a few pennies to support himself and ease his family's burdens.

While selling incense (ubani) in Kakamega town, he met Mama Ibado, who was looking for household help. When she inquired if he knew someone, Gerald offered to take the job himself and worked for her family until her children completed school and went abroad.

To help him earn a better living, Mama Ibado connected him with her sister, Mariam Yusuf, in Nairobi, who offered him a higher salary. He relocated to Nairobi and worked as a domestic worker for over forty years under Mariam Yusuf, who also supported him when he married and had five children, though two sons later passed away.

Through the financial support of his employer's family, his three surviving children managed to attend school up to the university level. However, despite their degrees, none of them have secured formal employment, leaving them unable to provide consistent financial support to their aging father.

Upon retiring to Busulwa Village in Mukomari, his life took a difficult turn when he was diagnosed with blood cancer. The illness drained his savings and made it impossible to do farm labor, often leaving his family to go to sleep on empty stomachs.

Recognizing his declining health and struggle to afford food, Mama Ibado visited his home, assessed his situation, and enrolled him into the seniors program. He now receives monthly food rations, including maize flour, porridge flour, and sugar, along with weekly clinic visits every Thursday for medical check-ups.

"Life was difficult when illness prevented me from doing manual labor, but now my household is assured of daily food," Gerald says.

Gerald is deeply thankful to the foundation for restoring his dignity and maintaining his health in his old age. However, managing chronic blood cancer while living with unemployed adult children leaves his household in urgent need of donor assistance for ongoing medical care and basic survival.