Esther vulimu Aliyo

Esther Vulimu Aliyo was born on February 17, 1941, in Busali, Vihiga County. She grew up in a large family of twelve children born to peasant farmers. Being the lastborn, she was the only child in her family who managed to go to school up to class eight. Her schooling stopped when her father, who was the breadwinner, passed away due to old age. With her mother busy trying to feed the family and having no money, Esther had to drop out and stay home to help with house chores.

Years later, after her mother passed away, she moved to Kakamega after getting married. There, she and her late husband—who worked as a teacher—were blessed with eight children: six boys and two girls. Unfortunately, three of her sons have passed away, leaving her with five surviving children. While her husband was alive, he helped support the family and educate the children.

When her husband passed away in 2003, the burden of providing for the home fell on her. She had to do small casual jobs to educate her youngest children, though none of them finished school, and most of them now only get occasional piece-jobs.

Today, old age and poor health have made life very difficult for Esther. She suffers from arthritis in her legs, which makes it hard for her to walk or work to get food. Most of her children are married and live elsewhere, leaving her alone at her matrimonial home without someone to help her get food. She previously had to depend only on well-wishers and meager support. She could barely walk past a short distance to the toilet, and going to church depended on whether a child could pay for a motorcycle ride. On top of her leg pain, she often got headaches and stomach pains, making her old age lonely and painful.

Because her surviving children are also struggling with their own families and lack of money, their help often came late or in very small amounts. Esther frequently found herself without basic food like sugar or flour, and on hard days when food was missing, she would sleep on an empty stomach. Life was extremely difficult, and she desperately needed help with food and basic daily support to make her old age easier.

Thankfully, her story has now changed for the better because she has been officially welcomed into the Mama Ibado program. She is now receiving generous support through the initiative, including maize flour, porridge flour, milk, sugar, tea leaves, rice, and salt. Esther really thanks Mama Ibado for this wonderful gesture and for the health clinics provided, and she truly believes her ailments will ease and her life will be fully dignified. The food is so nutritious, especially the porridge flour, and this program has brought immense hope, comfort, and relief to her golden years.