Mary Karwera

Mary Karwera was born in 1952 in Meru County as the eighth-born in a family of nine siblings. She managed to reach class seven and dreamed of furthering her education, but poverty and lack of school fees forced her to stop her education. Tragedy struck early in her life when she lost both parents, leaving her with no choice but to move to Isiolo with her elder sister, who sold groceries for a living.

At eighteen, Mary got married and was blessed with four children—three boys and one girl. However, her joy was short-lived when she lost one of her sons at the tender age of seven. Two years later, financial struggles deepened as her husband, a casual laborer, found less and less work. To support her family, Mary took up a job as a nursery school teacher in a private school, earning a meager 300 Kenyan shillings per month. To supplement this income, she started selling vegetables in her spare time.

A year later, she lost her teaching job and relied entirely on her small vegetable stall. Meanwhile, her husband's income dwindled further, and he turned to alcohol, spending what little they had. His health began to deteriorate, and tragically, he developed a terminal illness that Mary herself later contracted. After his passing, Mary was left sick, struggling to survive with jobless adult children who also had no means of supporting the family.

With no options left, she resorted to begging in the streets. It was during this desperate time that she heard about Mama Ibado Charity. She visited the office, and to her relief, she was enrolled in the Seniors Feeding Program. For more than six years, Mary has received monthly food support, making it easier for her to take her medication and regain some dignity.

Mary still needs your support to make ends meet.