Halima Jatani

Born in Ola Odha, Isiolo County, Mama Halima’s life has been one of sacrifice and unimaginable hardships. As a young girl, she dreamed of going to school, but her family saw education as a luxury she could not afford. Instead, she was confined to household chores. At just 15 years old, she was married to a 45-year-old man, and by 19, she was already a mother of two daughters.

Life was never easy, but it became even harder when her husband—once the family's sole provider—suffered a stroke, leaving him disabled and bedridden. With no income and no support, Halima had no choice but to send her children to beg alongside her.

Then, tragedy struck. One fateful day, while begging in town, her daughter was hit by a motorbike. She fought for her life, but the injuries were too severe. Halima was forced to bury her child, a loss no mother should ever endure.
In 1996, Halima found some joy when her only surviving daughter got married. But happiness was fleeting. One morning, a phone call shattered her world—her daughter had died in childbirth. Halima barely had time to grieve before another heartbreak followed. The child’s father was killed in a car accident, leaving their three children orphaned.

With no one else to care for them, Halima took in her grandchildren, raising them alone despite her desperate circumstances. Some nights, they had nothing to eat. Halima recalls breastfeeding her youngest granddaughter, trying to soothe her hunger when there was no food. To survive, she continued begging in the streets, her only means of providing for them.

One day, villagers directed her to Mama Ibado Charity (MIC). She was immediately added to a waiting list for assessment, as her vulnerability was undeniable. When the MIC team visited her home, they found her in a cramped, congested house, struggling to care for her orphaned grandchildren and bedridden husband.

She was enrolled in the senior feeding program, finally receiving monthly food rations to help support her family. The relief was life changing—her grandchildren, now in school, no longer had to go to bed hungry. For the first time in years, she no longer needed to beg. Now, she stays home to care for her ailing husband and the grandchildren who depend on her.