ABDI EDIN SOMO

At 65 years old, Abdi Edin Somo has spent much of his life carrying the responsibility of providing for his family despite having limited resources. A father of seven, Abdi’s circumstances have often made it difficult to meet the everyday needs of his household. Before receiving support from Mama Ibado Foundation, Abdi had no steady source of income or reliable means of providing for his family. He once depended on a small herd of approximately twenty goats as a source of livelihood. However, the goats were taken to Samburu, leaving him without the livestock he had relied on to support his household.

Abdi serves as the caller to prayer at his local mosque, a role that is important to him and his community. However, he has no other formal employment or dependable source of income. He does not own land or property and lives with his family in a rented house. Without a stable livelihood, meeting the cost of rent while ensuring that seven children had enough food was a constant challenge. For Abdi, the struggle was not simply about having enough money. It was about carrying the responsibility of an entire household with very few resources to depend on. With no livestock, land, or formal employment to fall back on, each month brought uncertainty about how basic household needs would be met.

His circumstances began to change when he came across the Mama Ibado Foundation office while walking through town. He noticed people being registered and receiving assistance and decided to enter the office and share his situation with the team. After explaining the challenges facing his family, Abdi was asked to provide his national identity card to complete the registration process. This marked the beginning of his journey as a beneficiary of Mama Ibado’s food assistance program.

Through the program, Abdi’s household now receives essential food supplies, including sugar, cooking oil, salt, tea leaves, and rice. While these are basic necessities, having them provided each month has made a meaningful difference to the family.

The regular food assistance has helped ensure that Abdi’s children have food available at home and has eased some of the pressure he previously faced in trying to provide for the household. With some of the family’s basic food needs covered, the limited resources available to Abdi can also be stretched further to meet other essential expenses, including rent.

Abdi remains deeply grateful for the assistance and for the people who make it possible. Each month, receiving the food supplies is a reminder that his family has not been forgotten during a difficult period in their lives. His story reflects the circumstances faced by many older caregivers and low-income families who have limited opportunities to earn a living but continue to carry significant responsibilities within their households. With consistent support, families like Abdi’s are able to meet some of their most basic needs with greater dignity and stability.