Julia Achesa Imbali

Julia Achesa Imbali was born on December 5, 1952, in Shirere, Kakamega County. She grew up in the Vatura clan as the firstborn in a family of eight children, where she learned the importance of responsibility at a very young age.

She attended school at Mkoma and managed to reach Class Seven, successfully passing her national examinations. However, her dreams of continuing to secondary school were cut short when her parents were unable to raise the required school fees.

After leaving school, Julia remained at home to assist her mother with household chores and manual labor. She spent several years supporting her family through small-scale farming and helping with the younger siblings before starting her own life.

In 1972, she married into the Washimuti clan and settled in Rosterman to raise her family. She gave birth to seven children, but one passed away, leaving her with six surviving children who now struggle to make ends meet.

The family depended on Julia’s small business selling tomatoes, onions, and potatoes at the local market. This business was the only thing keeping them from starvation, but it came to an end when Julia began suffering from severe health complications.

Her struggle intensified after a serious fall resulted in a spinal cord injury, which was further complicated by high blood pressure and partial blindness. Today, she lives in Rosterman with eight dependents in a household where food is scarce and stable income is non-existent.

Her children were unable to advance past Class Eight due to the same lack of fees that Julia faced as a child. They now perform irregular casual labor in the fields, earning very little to support the large family and their mother’s growing medical needs.

Julia had heard about the kindness of the Mama Ibado charity and decided to seek help herself by following a map to the offices. She was welcomed by the staff and officially enrolled in the seniors’ program on September 3, 2024.

She now receives monthly rations of maize flour, sugar, cooking oil, and tea leaves. These supplies have relieved the immense pressure of providing for her eight dependents while she deals with her physical disabilities.

"I used to worry about how my grandchildren would eat since I can no longer walk to the market, but now I feel rescued and valued."

The food basket has restored her dignity, ensuring that despite her spinal injury and blindness, she is not a burden but a cared-for elder. She no longer has to spend her energy wondering where the next meal will come from.

Julia still needs help because her spinal injury and partial blindness prevent her from performing any kind of work to sustain her home. With eight people relying on her and children who only have unstable manual jobs, she is completely dependent on the charity for survival.