Habiba Abdikadir

Born in Bula Pesa, Isiolo North, Habiba’s life has been shaped by hardship from an early age. As the firstborn of two siblings, she lost her mother at just seven years old, leaving her to navigate childhood without maternal care. Like many women of her time, she was denied an education and instead spent her youth herding livestock.

By the time she turned 16, she was forced into marriage. She became a mother to four children—one daughter and three sons. But tragedy followed her. One by one, she lost her children, with only her daughter surviving.

As a stay-at-home mother, Habiba relied on her husband, who worked tirelessly to provide for their family. However, in 1996, life took another devastating turn—her husband fell sick, started bleeding, and passed away within three days. Left alone, Habiba had no choice but to step in as the sole provider. She turned to selling small groceries, doing whatever she could to sustain her family.
But grief struck again. As the years passed, she buried her children one after another, until only her daughter remained. Despite the heartbreak, she kept going, holding onto the hope that life would get better.

Today, Habiba lives with six orphaned grandchildren, all young and entirely dependent on her. But as time passed, another challenge arose—her eyesight began to fail. Though she is not completely blind, her vision worsens with each passing day, making it even harder for her to care for the children who rely on her.

For the past one and a half years, Habiba has been a beneficiary of Mama Ibado Charity, receiving food assistance and support to help her through her later years.