JAFETHA SOPHIA ANYONA

Sophia Anyona Jafetha was born in 1948 in the green hills of Ilesi, Shinyalu, within Kakamega County. She grew up as one of five children, but as the years went by, she had to say a painful goodbye to all her siblings. Today, she is the only one left to tell the story of her family.

Life was difficult from the start, as she lost her parents while she was still a young girl. Without a mother or father to walk her to school or pay her way, her dream of an education never began. She spent her childhood doing what she could to survive, growing up quickly in a home that had lost its pillars.

As a young woman, Sophia moved into marriage in Ilesi and focused all her strength on building a home. Having grown up without parents, she worked hard at any manual job she could find to create a better life. However, without any schooling behind her, the work was always heavy and the pay was always small.

Sophia eventually became a mother to three children, and her biggest wish was to see them finish school. She pushed them as far as she could, with two reaching Class Six and the oldest making it to Class Eight. Sadly, the money ran out before they could graduate, and today they live at home with her, unable to find work in a tough economy.

For a long time, Sophia’s days were spent walking miles under the hot sun, hawking vegetables just to put a single meal on the table. This cycle of struggle only changed when a Field officer, Neima, from the Mama Ibado Charity saw her pain and introduced her to the support senior’s Program. After a visit to her home, the foundation began providing her with monthly supplies of maize flour, rice, milk, porridge flour, oil, and salt.

This care goes beyond her kitchen, as she now has a place to turn for her physical well-being. Every Thursday, she visits the clinic for a health check-up, ensuring she stays strong enough to look after her family.

"Knowing that my health and my hunger matter to someone has brought a quiet peace to my soul that I had forgotten existed," Says Sophia.

She credits the foundation with rescuing her from a life of deep worry and constant struggle. She often prays for the health of those who support her, asking for blessings upon the hearts that remembered her.

Even with this wonderful support, Sophia’s path remains steep because she is the main support for her grown children and her grandchildren. Without a steady job in the family, the assistance she receives is the only thing that keeps her household together and her grandchildren fed.