BERNANDINA BULIETI KHAYUMBI

Bernandina Bulieti Khayumbi was born in 1935 in the village of Mwichina, located in the Shinyalu region. She was raised in a humble household as the sixth daughter among her many siblings.

Her parents were peasant farmers who toiled on small pieces of land to provide for the large family. Because of their limited agricultural income, Bernandina was unable to attend school and remained at home to help with chores.

As a young woman, she moved to Shidodo, Nyayo Tea Zone, after marrying a local man who also lacked formal employment. The couple spent their early years together taking on manual labor for neighbors to survive.

Bernandina frequently trekked long distances to the forest to collect firewood, which she carried on her back to town to sell for food money. Despite her hard work, the income was never enough to sustain the six children she eventually bore.

Life took an even harder turn when two of her children passed away, leaving her with one son and three daughters. The family lived in a state of constant lack, often going to bed on empty stomachs when labor work was unavailable.

To try and keep her children in school, she occasionally brewed local changaa, but the fear of arrest and heavy fines eventually forced her to stop. Consequently, none of her children were able to complete their education beyond the primary level.

The struggle intensified significantly in 1993 when her husband died suddenly without having been ill. His passing left Bernandina as the sole provider in a home where the walls offered little protection and the granary was perpetually empty. Her surviving children grew up to find only unstable, low-paying jobs, leaving them unable to pull their mother out of poverty. Today, she lives under the care of her daughter-in-law, Consolata, in a home where resources remain extremely scarce.

In early 2022, Bernandina met a community representative at a local gathering who noticed her frail condition and the swelling in her legs. After assessing her dire living situation, she was officially enrolled in the Mama Ibado Seniors Program on April 1, 2023. She now receives monthly rations including rice, sugar, maize flour, cooking oil, tea leaves, salt, milk, and porridge flour.

"Before Mama Ibado came to my rescue, I lived in constant fear of where the next meal would come from, and my body was failing me without any medical care. Now, the heavy burden of hunger has been lifted, and I can visit the clinic every week knowing that my dignity has been restored in my old age."

Bernandina continues to require support because she remains responsible for ten young grandchildren that depend on her for survival. Her advanced age and physical ailments mean she can no longer perform the manual labor required to support such a large household. Help is needed to ensure she maintains her health and provides a foundation for the many children in her care.