Cowering from nothing and accompanied by a dauntless commitment to secure a new home, a 16-year-old Ali Wako entered Isiolo town from his native Marsabit. Inhibiting the rise of laziness and self-involvement prevalent among some of the youth of his generation, Wako began stabilizing his life. Luck guided him to an unoccupied land and without delay, Wako declared it his. Responding cautiously to the intimidating obstacle of being in a foreign land, he wittingly waited for the consequences of his bold action. When he found none, Wako began constructing a mud house with an iron-sheet roof and checked shelter off his survival list. 

The next task was going on an arduous quest for financial stability in order to place food on the table. From the ages of 16 to 27, Wako oscillated between grueling odd jobs as a hired part-time farmer and a turn boy. Persevering in the midst of toil and trouble, Wako managed to survive. As he fulfilled his own self-preservation, he felt the need to sacrifice for others. Wako found a local girl, equally willing to form a family. Within a year, they got a child and with this, Wako was in charge of feeding three mouths. 

Understanding that his efforts needed to exceed normality, Wako travelled to Meru on the off chance of finding a better paying opportunity. He got a job to operate a woodcutting machine at a local timber firm. With a relatively lofty ksh.120 salary in the 1970s, Wako lived adequately. As he was operating the machine one day, Wako felt an unconscious dizziness that stripped all his senses away except for the ability to smell. A fragrance of blood overwhelmed him and as he tried to figure out what was going on, he noted his severed fist on the ground. Alas! He was a victim of a freak accident. His employer mollified him by paying his hospital bill before firing him. 

Wako found his way back to Isiolo and in an attempt to diminish the urge to beg, he began herding livestock for the locals in his neighborhood. Up until the late 1990s, Wako engaged in this economic activity before finally giving up. Since then Wako has used the religious brotherhood that bonded him with his fellow Muslims to seek assistance. However, with Mama Ibado Charity as his family now, he spends his time following up with local politics and playing poker with his passive peers without worrying about his next meal.