Everlyne Queen Okanga

Everlyne Queen Okanga, now 67 years old, was born in Shitao, Kakamega County. As the third child in her family, her early years were tough. Everlyne never got the chance to go to school because her parents died when she was very young. She first lived with her mother, but after her mother's death, the family broke apart. This left her without the necessary help or support to get any formal schooling.

She married and had two children, a daughter and a son. Sadly, her marriage was difficult, which led to it failing, and she had to move back home. When her husband passed away, his family took the land. Today, her son is struggling to find work in Nairobi, and her daughter’s marriage in Bunyore is very uncertain.

Everlyne used to support herself by running a small business, selling things like vegetables and maize. However, she was stopped from earning a living about five years ago. While coming home from church, she was hit by a motorcycle in a hit-and-run crash. The crash badly injured the entire left side of her body and her lower stomach, making it impossible for her to do any physical work. Because she had no money, she could not go to the hospital for treatment. Since the accident, she has been constantly sick and unable to work at all.

Life at home is a deep struggle. Since her accident, Everlyne is completely dependent on her sister-in-law for food. Her sister-in-law works hard doing odd jobs just to put meals on the table. This complete reliance highlights the huge challenge of finding food and the severe poverty that has taken over Everlyne's life since her injury. With no way to support herself and her children unable to help, Everlyne Queen is in the middle of a major health and money crisis. She is desperately in need of help to cover her basic needs and medical expenses.

With no one nearby to offer support, Everlyne was blessed with a moment of fortune. One day, as the village elder was walking around the community, he came across her sitting in his home. He was deeply moved by her difficult circumstances and reached out to us at the Mama Ibado Charity. We paid a visit to her home and found that Everlyne truly was in a condition that demanded immediate attention. She has now been enrolled in our Senior Feeding Programme, which provides her with some food to keep her going.

While the food support is a vital lifeline that addresses her immediate hunger, Everlyne's core issues are much larger and still need urgent attention. Her injuries from the terrible crash five years ago have never been properly treated, leaving her in constant pain and completely unable to earn a living. She has a critical and unmet need for medical care and physical rehabilitation to improve her health and quality of life. Furthermore, she desperately needs help securing a safe and stable place to live, as her current situation leaves her vulnerable and completely reliant on the kindness of others for basic shelter and daily necessities. Without this comprehensive support for her health and living situation, the food program alone cannot lift her out of the severe hardship she faces.