OMWANDA JOSEPH ANYOLO

Omwanda Suleiman Makokha was born in 1944 in the village of Emusonga, Kakamega County. He grew up in an impoverished household where necessities were always scarce.

He began his education with the hope of finishing, but he was forced to stop at primary Standard Six. His father was a poor man who could not afford the fees necessary to keep him in school.

After leaving school, he stayed at home performing casual manual labour to support his parents. He worked long hours doing odd jobs in the village just to help secure their daily meals.

He later married and was blessed with eight children, consisting of three boys and five girls. He worked as a subordinate staff member for Kenya Railways until 1998 to provide for his ...

Omwanda Suleiman Makokha was born in 1944 in the village of Emusonga, Kakamega County. He grew up in an impoverished household where necessities were always scarce.

He began his education with the hope of finishing, but he was forced to stop at primary Standard Six. His father was a poor man who could not afford the fees necessary to keep him in school.

After leaving school, he stayed at home performing casual manual labour to support his parents. He worked long hours doing odd jobs in the village just to help secure their daily meals.

He later married and was blessed with eight children, consisting of three boys and five girls. He worked as a subordinate staff member for Kenya Railways until 1998 to provide for his large family.

He received a one-time gratuity payment instead of a monthly pension, which he used completely to pay for his children's education. Only one daughter managed to attain a diploma in electrical engineering and find work in Nairobi, while the other seven children lack stable employment.

As his retirement savings ran out, the family faced severe food insecurity and often slept on empty stomachs. His hardships worsened significantly in 2018 when he developed painful arthritis in his knees and back, which left him unable to walk properly or work.

He learned about Mama Ibado when the organisation announced a registration drive for elderly community members aged seventy and above. Representatives visited his home to assess his vulnerable situation and officially enrolled him in the seniors program on November 21, 2022.

He now receives a vital monthly food supply containing four bags of maize flour, one bag of millet flour, two kilograms of sugar, salt, and five kilograms of rice. The program also supports his health by facilitating his medical check-ups at the clinic every Thursday to manage his arthritis.

He expresses deep gratitude to the organisation for lifting the heavy burden of hunger and sickness from his life.

"Before joining the program, I spent my days in deep stress over food and my failing health, but now I have peace of mind and my dignity is restored."

He still needs donor support because his advanced age and severe arthritis prevent him from earning a living, and his children remain financially unstable.