Sofia Achidza Ilolo

Sophia Achidza Ilolo is a 72-year-old woman born and raised in her local village. She grew up in a home where basic needs were a constant struggle from the very beginning. As one of several children, she experienced firsthand the difficulties of a household with extremely limited resources.

Her formal education was brief, as she only managed to study until class three before being forced to stop. There was no money available at home to sustain her schooling, and school fees were an impossible burden for her family. Consequently, she left the classroom as a young girl to face a life of manual labor at home.

After leaving school, she did not find a regular job and spent her years doing very hard manual work. Her life was spent working in the fields, trying to grow food from the dry ground. Since she was born, she has known only this life of physical struggle.

Sophia eventually married and became a mother to eight children, but raising them was a period of intense hardship. She farmed with her bare hands, often without fertilizer, only to watch her maize dry up and leave the family with nothing. During this time, they frequently slept hungry, and today she lives entirely alone as her children have all relocated to Nairobi and no longer provide support.

She was introduced to the Mama Ibado program during a time of desperate hunger when she was so thin that people would flee at the sight of her. Now, she receives a monthly kit containing rice, sugar, vegetable oil, tea leaves, salt, porridge flour, and maize flour.

"The provision of consistent nutrition has restored my dignity and transformed me into a person of value within my community," says Sophia.

The transition from her past life to the present has brought an immense sense of relief and physical recovery. In the past, she could not even afford a bar of soap or a simple cup of tea, but now those worries have been erased.

"Having a reliable support system for my health and nutrition has granted me a peace of mind I have not known in decades," says Sophia. She remains deeply grateful for the mercy shown to her and prays for the continued success of the program. The assistance has uplifted her spirit, especially this past month when her supplies were increased to further ease her burden.

Sophia still requires urgent help because her advanced age and failing health have left her unable to work or even walk without assistance. Living in complete isolation without the support of her children, she relies entirely on this program for the medication and nutrition required to survive.