Lorna Anyango Otieno

Lorna Anyango Otieno sits quietly by the doorway of her home in Majengo, her eyes clouded and still. She rests her weight on a wooden walking stick, a tool that has become her only guide in a world she can no longer see. She was born on July 17, 1953, in Awendo, South Nyanza, into a family of eight siblings.

Her education began with promise as she managed to reach Form Two, showing a keen interest in learning. However, her journey was cut short when school fees became an impossible hurdle for her parents, forcing her to leave the classroom forever. She spent the following years at home, using her hands to help her parents with manual tasks until she reached the age of marriage.

Lorna eventually married and moved to Bondo, where she and her husband were blessed with six children. To provide for their home, she used her skills as a talented tailor, stitching garments to ensure her children had what they needed. Her husband worked alongside her to keep the family afloat, but they lived a life where every shilling was counted carefully.

The stability of her home collapsed in 2018 when her husband passed away, leaving her to face a future of deep loneliness and heavy responsibilities. The weight of being a widow led to severe stress, which caused her blood pressure and blood sugar levels to rise to dangerous levels. Over time, these conditions took a toll on her body, eventually leading to a complete loss of her eyesight.

With her vision gone, Lorna could no longer sit at her sewing machine, and her only source of income vanished instantly. Her surviving children were unable to offer much help, as they all struggle with a lack of stable jobs and live in poverty in various parts of the country. She found herself living in a dark world of hunger, responsible for four grandchildren who looked to her for meals she did not have.

Desperate and failing in health, she made her way to the Mama Ibado Charity Center, hoping for a miracle to save her and her dependents. Upon arrival, medical tests revealed her blood pressure was at 200 and her blood sugar at 36, levels so high that she was at immediate risk of death. The charity immediately began her treatment and enrolled her in the seniors' program on June 5, 2025.

She now receives a comprehensive monthly food basket containing rice, maize flour, porridge flour, sugar, cooking oil, tea leaves, soap, and matches. Beyond the food, she receives critical medical care every Thursday, which has stabilized her hypertension and diabetes, keeping her alive for the sake of her grandchildren.

"There was a time when I thought my life was over because I was blind, sick, and starving, but the care I receive now has made me feel like a human being once again."

The regular nutrition and medication have transformed her from a woman on the verge of collapse to someone who can now manage her household with dignity. She no longer has to beg for the simple bowl of porridge that sustains her and the four young ones under her roof.

Lorna still needs help because her blindness prevents her from ever returning to her work as a tailor to support her five dependents. Her health remains fragile and requires constant medication, making the support of well-wishers her only protection against the return of hunger and illness.