Rida Joseph Muteshi

Rida Joseph Muteshi was born in the year 1945 in Ikolomani as one of nine children in her family.

She never attended school; without the foundation of education, her early years were spent performing simple domestic tasks and manual labor to support daily survival.

She later married and moved to Shirere, where she and her husband worked hard to raise six children. Her husband earned a living selling meat at a butchery, while she worked as a farmer to help support the household.

Life became increasingly difficult as two of her children passed away, and her surviving children struggled to find stable employment due to limited schooling.

Following her husband's death, she was left without a steady income and faced days sleeping on an empty stomach.

Her health declined drastically over time, suffering from hypertension and a stroke that left her bedridden for eleven years, alongside blindness and a broken limb. She now relies entirely on her school-going grandson for daily care in a semi-permanent home in Shirere.

A village elder connected her to the Mama Ibado Charity program, where representatives assessed her living conditions and enrolled her into the seniors program.

Through this initiative, she now receives essential food provisions, including sugar, milk, cooking oil, maize flour, porridge flour, and salt.

Life today carries a restored sense of stability compared to the past when food was scarce.

"Now we no longer sleep hungry, and I have less stress about where to get food," she notes, reflecting on the relief provided by the support.

Rida still needs help to access proper medical care for her stroke, hypertension, and broken limb, while her grandson requires assistance with school fees so he can remain in school.