OMAR SAIDA HADI

Omar Saida Hadi was born in 1979 in Bungoma. She was the only child of her mother, who passed away shortly after her birth, leading her father to remarry and raise a larger family with a stepmother.

Saida attended primary school in Bungoma and managed to study until Class Eight. She was unable to join secondary school because her aunt, who took her in after her parents died, had many responsibilities and could not afford the fees.

After leaving school, she remained at home helping her aunt with domestic chores and manual labor. Eventually, she was introduced to a suitor and entered into an arranged marriage to start her own life.

Her marriage was defined by instability and hardship, lasting only two years before her husband fell ill and passed away. Left as a young widow with a five-year-old and newborn twins, she relied entirely on her in-laws for food, clothing, and basic survival.

One of her twins was born with sickle cell anemia, requiring constant medical attention and expensive medicine. While struggling with her son's illness, her other twin daughter began showing signs of a psychiatric condition that made her hyperactive and difficult to manage.

The burden grew heavier when both of her supportive parents-in-law passed away, leaving her to face the hostility of her sisters-in-law. She spent her days cooking and selling snacks like bhajia and samosas on the streets, yet the family frequently went to bed hungry.

The loss of her son in Form Three, who had secured an Equity Bank scholarship, left her devastated and alone to care for her remaining daughter. She was at her lowest point when she approached the Mama Ibado program, pleading for help due to her daughter’s specialized medical needs.

Since being registered in January 2019, Saida has received monthly food rations, including maize flour, rice, oil, sugar, tea leaves, and salt. This support ensures that she and her daughter no longer face the physical pain of starvation.

"Life was a constant battle for a single meal, but now I have the peace of knowing there is food in the house every month. This support has allowed me to focus my little energy on my daughter’s specialized psychiatric medication instead of wondering if we will eat."

Saida is deeply grateful to the Mama Ibado office for holding her hand during her darkest years. The consistent food supply has provided her with the dignity and strength to continue caring for her unwell child.

She still requires assistance because she is the sole caregiver for a daughter with a chronic psychiatric condition that requires lifelong medication. Without external support, she cannot balance the cost of these essential drugs and the basic needs of a home.