Owuor Michael

Owuor Michael was born in 1941 in Shikhambi, a village located on the outskirts of Kakamega town.

He grew up in a large household with eight brothers and sisters, making them nine children in total under his mother's care.

He started his education at a local school in Shikhambi and managed to study until he reached standard five. His education came to an abrupt end when his father passed away, leaving the family without a provider. With no one left to pay his school fees or support his dreams, he had to drop out of school permanently.

After leaving school, he stayed at home for more than ten years trying to survive through subsistence farming. He spent his youth digging the small family piece of land to get food for himself and his siblings.

He eventually got employed by the railway department, where he worked hard as a casual laborer for thirty-five years.

He retired from his railway job in 1996 and used his small retirement savings to buy vegetables and basic food items. He never got married or had children, so he lived completely alone in a fragile mud house that slowly deteriorated over the years.

His life became incredibly difficult in 2013 when he survived a severe road accident that broke his left leg. He spent four months in the hospital, but the bone failed to align properly, leaving him with a permanent disability and severe arthritis.

He returned to his leaking mud house in 2014, where he lived in total isolation, often sleeping on an empty stomach due to his inability to walk or work.

The village elder noticed his suffering and informed the Mama Ibado team about an elderly disabled man who was starving alone. Representatives from the organization visited his home on a heavily rainy day, finding him inside his damp house while water leaked through the roof.

He was formally enrolled in the seniors program on May 17, 2021, and began receiving a monthly supply of cooking oil, maize flour, porridge flour, milk, tea leaves, sugar, rice, and salt.

"The support has completely transformed my life because I no longer have to worry about where my next meal will come from," Michael explains.

The reliable food supply ensures that he does not sleep hungry, allowing him to use his limited energy to manage his severe health conditions instead of begging for food.

He is deeply grateful to the program for restoring his dignity and bringing peace to his old age. However, he still lives in a dilapidated mud structure that floods whenever it rains, worsening his painful arthritis. He requires continuous assistance to improve his shelter and manage his medical care as a vulnerable elderly citizen living alone.