Mukoshi Zakayo Shichenje

Zakayo Mukoshi Shichenje was born in 1948 in the Bukhulunya area of Matende, Kakamega County. He grew up as part of a large family with eight children in the Isukha region. He attended Matende Primary School but only reached Standard 4 because his parents could no longer afford the school fees.

After his school years, he began working as a turnboy for trailers to support himself. Eventually, he learned to drive the heavy vehicles and secured a formal license for his work. He later secured employment with the government under the Ministry of Works until his retirement.

Zakayo married his wife in 1959, and they were blessed with eight children over the years. His life changed significantly twenty-five years ago when his wife passed away, leaving him to manage the household alone. He currently resides in the Bukhulunya area, where he continues to live with his family.

Life has become very difficult for him because he no longer has a source of income or a pension. Most of his children remain at home and have not been able to find steady work or marry. The family often struggles to get by, sometimes relying on relatives to share maize for their meals.

He first encountered the Mama Ibado program when he saw food being distributed to those in need in his community. He approached her to ask for help, but she insisted on visiting his home first to witness his living conditions. After her visit, she promised to support him and began providing the family with regular supplies.

"Before I joined this program, I would sleep for two days without eating anything, but now I have flour and oil in my house," as shared by Zakayo Mukoshi.

Through this support, Zakayo now receives essential items like maize flour, cooking oil, and sugar. He also gets milk and tea leaves, which have brought much-needed nutrition back to his kitchen. These items have removed the constant worry of where the next meal will come from each day.

Zakayo expresses deep gratitude for the kindness he has received from Mama Ibado and the team. He prays for her continued health so that she may remain strong enough to keep helping others like him. He credits this assistance with providing his family with the basic items they could not afford on their own.

He continues to need this assistance because he is elderly and lacks the strength for manual labor. Since his children are still at home without work, the household remains entirely dependent on external support. Without this help, the family would face the risk of falling back into severe hunger and poor health.