IBRAHIM SOFIA SHISIALI

Ibrahim Sofia Shisiali was born in 1949 in Shikoti, Lurambi, within Kakamega County. She grew up in a household where she was one of many siblings.

She attended school during the era of the old curriculum. Her education came to a halt in class four because her family could not afford the required school fees.

After leaving school, she remained at home helping with domestic chores and manual labor. She spent her young adulthood managing the household until she got married.

Following her marriage, she moved to Isukha, Shinyalu, and began raising a family. She gave birth to seven children, including her daughter Shufa, but endured the loss of four daughters who died between the ages of three and five.

To provide for her surviving children, she practiced small-scale farming. She planted kale and other vegetables to sell to neighbors for small amounts of money.

Life became significantly harder when her husband passed away while her daughter, Shufa, was only in Form Two. As the sole breadwinner, she took on any available odd jobs to ensure her children stayed in school, often skipping meals herself so they could eat.

The long years of physical labor and the stress of providing alone led to a decline in her health. She developed depression, ulcers, high blood pressure, and diabetes, eventually losing the ability to walk.

She now lives in the Lutonyi outskirts of Kakamega town in a small house, relying entirely on a wheelchair. Her daughter Shufa acts as her full-time caregiver, as they have no stable source of income.

In May 2021, a well-wisher named Hussein Abdalla, who was familiar with her suffering, informed the Mama Ibado office about her condition. The team visited her home, assessed her dire situation, and enrolled her in the seniors' program.

She currently receives monthly supplies of maize flour, rice, cooking oil, milk, and specialized porridge flour. These donations ensure that she and her three dependents no longer go to bed hungry.

"The help I receive has changed everything because I no longer have to worry about where my next meal will come from. This peace of mind has allowed my family to focus on my health and my children's future instead of just survival."

Ibrahim Sofia Shisiali is deeply grateful to the donors who have restored her dignity and provided comfort in her old age. She hopes for continued support to manage her medical bills and daily care needs as she remains unable to work.