Linet Luka Baraza

Linet Luka Baraza was born in 1949 in Butsotso, Ingotse, into a modest rural household. Growing up in her family home, her daily routine involved assisting her mother with small-scale trading, including selling fish to support the household.

She attended local village schools for her early education before stopping her studies. The disruption occurred when her mother fell seriously ill and eventually passed away, causing their small fish-selling business to collapse entirely.

Left without her mother to guide the trade, she remained around the homestead doing domestic tasks. The absence of income meant she had to navigate daily life relying on whatever meager assistance she could find within the village.

She eventually left her home village and relocated to Rosterman in Kakamega, where she married and gave birth to two children. Raising her family proved exhausting, as she and her husband struggled daily to find casual labor just to secure a single meal, often enduring long days with empty stomachs.

The situation turned grim when her husband passed away, leaving her alone to shoulder the responsibilities of raising the children and keeping their education afloat. Without steady employment, the burden proved insurmountable, and her children were eventually forced to drop out of school to help her survive.

Her health began to deteriorate rapidly, accompanied by failing eyesight, partial hearing loss, and memory lapses that left her confused for hours. Confined entirely to a modest mud-walled house, she depended completely on her children, who searched daily for unpredictable casual jobs that frequently yielded nothing.

The turning point arrived when the local chief visited her homestead, assessed her severe living conditions, and facilitated her enrollment in the Mama Ibado Charity seniors program. Through this initiative, she began receiving a monthly provision of essential food items consisting of rice, milk, tea leaves, salt, and cooking oil.

Reflecting on this transformation, her son Peter notes, "This project has sustained her greatly from way back, and if not for this help, maybe this mother we would not be with."

Today, she no longer worries about where her next meal will come from, as the monthly rations ensure she always has basic sustenance waiting at home.

Despite receiving food support, Linet still faces severe health challenges due to her deteriorating eyesight, hearing impairment, and memory loss, requiring ongoing assistance.