Hellen Ombwana Mushi

A visit to Hellen’s home in the village of Elukho, Kakamega County, reveals a shocking and heartbreaking sight. She bends on the ground, painfully using her feet and her one deformed hand to wash her utensils.

Hellen Ombwana Mushi was born in 1957 in Khwisero, Kakamega County, into a family of seven children. Life began with heavy limitations as five of her siblings passed away, leaving only Hellen and her disabled sibling surviving in poverty.

She attempted to start her education but was only able to complete class one. Her father was poor and could not manage the school expenses, leading to her being turned away from the institution.

After leaving school, she returned home. She survived by assisting neighbors with manual farm work and following laborers to collect firewood just to get by.

She later got married in Kakamega, but her husband passed away after a life of extreme financial hardship. The couple struggled constantly for food as her husband only did casual weeding jobs for other people.

Her deepest emotional pain came from her desire to build a family, but all of her pregnancies resulted in miscarriages. She was left with no surviving children to hold, care for, or depend on in her later years.

Her suffering deepened significantly during a day when she was cooking over an open fire at home. She suddenly experienced severe dizziness, lost consciousness, and collapsed directly into the flames.

The fire severely burned her left limbs, resulting in the amputation of it leaving her remaining hand completely deformed and non-functional. Unable to perform any work, she relied entirely on neighbors who pitied her condition and shared small portions of food to keep her from starving.

A local village elder witnessed her desperate situation and brought her plight to the attention of the Mama Ibado organization. Representatives from the organization subsequently visited Hellen's home, assessed her severe physical and economic vulnerability, and enrolled her into the seniors program on March 9, 2026.

Through the program, she now regularly receives essential food supplies, including maize flour, sugar, rice, and milk.

"Before Mama Ibado found me, I relied entirely on the mercy of neighbors for a single meal, but now I am assured of food every month and no longer sleep hungry," Hellen states.

Hellen expresses deep gratitude to the organization and to the village elder for rescuing her from absolute destitution.

"I do not know how many years God has left for me on this earth, and I pray for continued support to help me survive in my condition," she shares.

Hellen still requires specialized donor assistance because she is completely disabled, lives alone without a spouse or children, and cannot perform any daily tasks independently.