Nicholas Mitalo is a seventy-year-old man who was born and raised in Shivakala village of Kakamega County.
He grew up in a household of four children, consisting of two boys and two girls, though both of his sisters passed away. Being among the younger siblings, he witnessed the early loss of his family members, leaving only him and his elder brother to remain at their family home.
He started his primary education locally but was forced to stop attending school quite early because his parents lacked the money for school fees. The lack of financial resources meant he could not reach the higher levels of education he had hoped for. Without any qualifications, he had to leave the classroom behind and find a way to contribut...
Nicholas Mitalo is a seventy-year-old man who was born and raised in Shivakala village of Kakamega County.
He grew up in a household of four children, consisting of two boys and two girls, though both of his sisters passed away. Being among the younger siblings, he witnessed the early loss of his family members, leaving only him and his elder brother to remain at their family home.
He started his primary education locally but was forced to stop attending school quite early because his parents lacked the money for school fees. The lack of financial resources meant he could not reach the higher levels of education he had hoped for. Without any qualifications, he had to leave the classroom behind and find a way to contribute to the family's survival.
Immediately after leaving school, Nicholas began working as a herder, spending his days looking after cattle for other people in the village. He eventually moved to Nairobi to seek better opportunities and found employment working for an Indian family for several years. When his employers moved back to their home country, he was forced to return to his village in Shivakala to start over.
Nicholas eventually married, but his marriage was defined by instability and hardship until his wife eventually left him, taking their child with her. Since her departure, he has lived a solitary life, struggling to perform heavy manual labor like splitting firewood or tilling land just to secure a single meal. As he aged, his body began to fail him, and a persistent shaking condition (Pathological Tremor) that started two years ago made it impossible for him to continue working for food.
He was discovered by the Mama Ibado team while sitting at a local field, where they noticed his frailty and registered him for the Feed the senior’s support program. He now receives a regular package of essential supplies, including rice, maize flour, porridge flour, milk, and sugar to sustain his daily life.
Beyond the nutritional support, the program has become a lifeline for his deteriorating health and the tremors that hindered his movement. He now visits the clinic every Thursday for medical check-ups, which has helped him regain enough strength to perform basic household tasks like making tea. This medical attention, combined with a consistent diet, has allowed him to feel much better and more stable than he has in many years.
"The medical care I receive every Thursday has restored my hope, as I no longer have to depend on the mercy of neighbors just to survive," says Nicholas Mitalo.
He expressed profound gratitude to the foundation for the health insurance and the food that has saved him from starvation. The support has allowed him to live with dignity despite his old age and his inability to perform manual labor.
Nicholas still requires help because he lives entirely alone and has no children or spouse to care for him in his old age. His chronic shaking condition prevents him from earning an income through casual work, leaving him without any means of self-support. Continued assistance is necessary to ensure he can maintain his health and have access to food as he manages his tremors.
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