JUMA MWAJUMA QUEEN

Outside Kakamega Town in Lutonyi, a simple semi-permanent house stands against the elements. Inside lives Juma Mwajuma Queen, a woman whose days are shaped by endurance and physical pain.

Born in 1953 in Maraba, Kakamega, she grew up as the seventh child in a family where her father worked for local Indian merchants. She began her education at Township Primary School, carrying the hopes of her family.

Financial constraints forced her to leave school in Standard Seven when school fees could no longer be met. Without a primary completion certificate, her options were immediately restricted, sealing off future formal employment.

Returning home without prospects, she spent her young adulthood assisting with domestic chores and helping her mother, who traded in vegetables and fish. With few alternatives available, marriage became her primary path forward.

She married a local driver and settled in Lutonyi, hoping for stability. Her husband spent much of his earnings away from home, leaving her to shoulder the responsibility of raising their children.

To keep her household afloat, she took on strenuous manual work, fetching water for neighbors and doing laundry. Over the years, she bore nine children, facing immense sorrow when four passed away.

Her husband was killed during a robbery after selling a plot of land, leaving her completely on her own. The burden of providing fell entirely on her shoulders, forcing her back into casual labor to feed her surviving children.

Days without work meant her family had nothing to eat, facing many nights on empty stomachs. On those hardest days, she could only boil plain water with a bit of flour to make simple porridge without sugar.

Her financial struggle affected her children's education, as none could complete their schooling. Her eldest son reached Standard Eight, another made it to Standard Five, one daughter was left in Standard Seven, and the rest stopped early.

Today, her surviving children remain trapped in informal, unstable work without steady income. One son does casual farm work in Kambiri, another moved to Mombasa seeking labor, and her daughters are married, none in a position to offer financial support.

At 73, she suffers from severe arthritis that causes painful stiffness in her limbs, alongside intense body heat, shivering, chest pains, and head discomfort. Despite her declining health, she cares for 12 dependents in her household.

Relief arrived when a community member noticed her distress and connected her with local leaders, who introduced her to the Mama Ibado Charity. She was enrolled in the Seniors Program, receiving monthly food rations of rice, maize flour, tea leaves, and salt.

She visits the clinic every Thursday for medical check-ups to manage her chronic ailments. This medical support and regular food distribution have restored a sense of security and health to her life.

"I am deeply grateful because when the end of the month approaches, I know I will receive food to eat, and I pray that God continues to bless this work."

Through the Mama Ibado Charity, she no longer faces the fear of going to bed hungry. However, caring for 12 dependents in a semi-permanent home while managing severe arthritis requires continued support to maintain her dignity and care.