Woi Woi Akiru Choro was born in 1956, though her family is originally from Turkana. Her early childhood involved a lot of moving around. After her mother got married in Kakamega, Butsotso, the family moved to Uganda to live with their father, who was serving there as a soldier. Eventually, her father’s sister brought Woi Woi and her family back home to Kenya, and they finally settled in their current residence in Masingo.
Childhood and the Gap in Education Woi Woi’s path never led to the classroom. She recounts, “I never went to school. I didn’t even get to read. Even now, I don't know how to read or use a phone.” This early lack of education meant she entered life unprepared for many of the challenges ahead...
Woi Woi Akiru Choro was born in 1956, though her family is originally from Turkana. Her early childhood involved a lot of moving around. After her mother got married in Kakamega, Butsotso, the family moved to Uganda to live with their father, who was serving there as a soldier. Eventually, her father’s sister brought Woi Woi and her family back home to Kenya, and they finally settled in their current residence in Masingo.
Childhood and the Gap in Education Woi Woi’s path never led to the classroom. She recounts, “I never went to school. I didn’t even get to read. Even now, I don't know how to read or use a phone.” This early lack of education meant she entered life unprepared for many of the challenges ahead.
A Life Defined by Struggle Life after returning to Kenya quickly became demanding. In 1967, at the age of just ten, Woi Woi’s mother arranged for her to be married. She bore two children and remained with her husband for close to twenty years before they eventually separated.
After her marriage ended, Woi Woi was forced to take up casual labor to survive. She walked from place to place, doing odd jobs. She initially worked at a hotel, washing dishes, and later found domestic work. At the time, she earned a meager KES 30 per month for her labor.
The hardest part of this period was the constant battle for sustenance. Food was scarce, leading to profound weakness. "I was not eating," she recalls. "I was just looking at food with my eyes." The extreme difficulty in securing a single meal left her body depleted and her spirit worn down by hunger and fatigue.
A Turning Point with Mama Ibado Salvation arrived when Woi Woi encountered the Mama Ibado team and their representative, Sainabu, who were walking through the community, identifying and registering vulnerable seniors. This chance meeting brought her into the "Food for the Seniors" program, which transformed her daily struggle.
Woi Woi now receives essential rations, including four packets of maize flour, two kilograms of rice, other grains, a one-liter bottle of cooking oil, salt, and tea leaves. Recently, milk was added to the provisions. She credits this food with saving her life: "That food came and filled me with strength. It gave me the power I needed to get better before I could even find other meals. I started drinking porridge, and slowly, I regained my appetite."
Health and Wellness Support Beyond the critical food aid, Mama Ibado’s support has provided a vital lifeline for Woi Woi’s health. Recognizing that she is often tired, she visits the organization’s clinic office when she feels weak.
She is now under a regular care regimen where she visits the clinic every Thursday for a check-up, receiving essential medication for ulcers and high blood pressure. She is grateful that her pressure has stabilized, noting that it has "increased its descent," meaning it remains at a manageable, lower level. This consistent medical oversight ensures her physical health is maintained, allowing her to benefit fully from the nutritional support.
Gratitude and a Call for Continued Aid Woi Woi expresses immense gratitude to Mama Ibado. "I deeply thank Mama Ibado for the place she has brought me from. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have even had the strength to look for other food," she says. "May God continue to protect her and guide her, because she has helped those of us who cannot help ourselves".
Despite the progress, Woi Woi Akiru Choro, a senior citizen who spent her life working hard but remains financially unable to sustain herself or manage chronic health issues without assistance, needs continued help to ensure her essential nutritional and medical needs are met. Her survival and quality of life depend entirely on the steady flow of aid provided by the organization.
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