Mukoshi Olivia Shiyenzi

Mukoshi Olivia Shiyenzi was born in 1959 at Mukango. She was the seventh child in her father’s house and the second born to her mother. Growing up in a large family, her parents reached a point where they could no longer support her basic needs, leading her to move in with her uncles.

She started her education with the help of her uncles, who managed to pay for her schooling from Class One through Class Seven. She eventually joined Arap Moi for her secondary education, but she had to leave school prematurely because her uncle could no longer afford the financial requirements. Following this, she moved to Nairobi with a relative who helped her secure a position at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Olivia worked at the ministry for many years until she was retrenched in the year 2000. Left without a formal income and raising a young son on her own, she turned to the markets to survive. She became a "tender," a term she uses to describe her life selling groceries and small supplies to local schools to ensure her son could stay in school.

Though she never married, Olivia faced the heavy burden of raising her family alone after the father of her child resigned from his own job and neglected his parental responsibilities.

She struggled through the years to put her son through Mombasa Polytechnic, often working until late in the night. Even after her son graduated, the last two years were defined by severe hardship as he struggled with unemployment in Nairobi, eventually being evicted from his house and returning home to live with her.

Before finding help, Olivia’s life was a desperate cycle of debt and begging; she would visit friends at the market to take potatoes, tomatoes, and cabbage on credit, or beg neighbors for small portions of flour and sugar.

There were many nights when the family faced the threat of hunger, relying entirely on the mercy of well-wishers to bridge the gap between her small sales. Her household now consists of six members who rely on her, all living together in a small mud house without electricity.

In 2024, she joined the Mama Ibado program after a friend she was campaigning with, Jared Mukoshi, recognized her suffering and encouraged her to visit the offices for help. She was successfully registered and now receives essential monthly supplies including rice, sugar, milk, maize flour, and porridge flour.

"Before this intervention, I spent every day at the market pleading for credit just to see my family through the night, but today I have the dignity of a full store and the joy of seeing my grandchildren celebrate when the rice is cooked," she says.

The program has brought immense relief to her home, as she no longer has to beg for basic staples and can use her limited energy to find small additions like onions or tomatoes.

Olivia offers her deepest gratitude to the donors, praying that their kindness is rewarded with long life and opened doors. She remains in need of assistance because she is the sole provider for five other family members and lacks a stable income or a permanent, modern shelter to house them.