ANGELINA MUHINDI KHAYASI

Angelina Khayebi was born in June 1948 in Shinyalu, Kakamega County. She was the second of eight children born to her mother. Five of her siblings passed away, leaving only three survivors.

Life during her childhood was a constant struggle. Her parents possessed very little, and she recounts that they did not manage to educate most of them, not even to basic levels. Angelina was the only one they managed to educate up to Class 8. Her formal schooling came to an abrupt halt when she got pregnant early.

After leaving school, she focused on raising her first child at home. She later had a second child while still living there. Life became difficult as she struggled to care for her children. When her mother passed away, she and her remaining siblings were left with their father.

Raising the children was tough. One of her children later died, leaving her with one child.
She eventually left her home area and got married in Amalemba, outskirts of Kakamega town, bringing along her surviving child. In her new home, she was blessed with seven more children. Sorrow struck again when her husband passed away. He had been working in Nairobi, but returned home and passed away shortly after. He left behind children whose education was still incomplete—only two were in school at the time. Sadly, some of those children have since passed away.

For 14 years after her husband's death, Angelina struggled on her own, unable to afford to educate her children. She survived by farming for other people. Her children eventually left to try and find work for themselves. Her sons went to Nairobi, following the path of the firstborn. The girls, meanwhile, had to wander and eventually settled down.

Life had become extremely difficult for her, and during this time, she met Amina, a representative of the Mama Ibado Charity. She shared her struggles with Amina, especially the hardship of relying on manual work to survive. Amina listened and registered her into the seniors’ food support program.

Since then, she has been receiving regular food supplies from the charity, including four packets of maize flour, a kilogram of sugar, tea leaves, salt, cooking oil, and rice. This has brought stability to her life, as she no longer goes hungry. The support has given her a sense of relief and hope, knowing that she has consistent access to essential food items.

Beyond food, the charity also supports her health. She suffers from high blood pressure and arthritis—conditions that are now better managed thanks to the medication and check-ups she receives every Thursday at the clinic. The staff calls her when food is ready or when it's time for treatment. She says, “I take a lot of medication, even now as I sit here, I’ve taken my medicine,” and gratefully adds, “They give me medicine.”

Angelina needs continued help because, despite the assistance, she remains completely unable to sustain herself due to her age, chronic illnesses and lack of means. The support for food and medical treatment is her lifeline; without it, she would immediately be forced back into a life of debilitating hunger and sickness.