Pascal Aziza Rita

Pascal Aziza Rita was born in 1958 in Matopeni village to her parents Francis Ritembo and Anna Kachoji. She grew up in a very large household as the fifth child among ten siblings in their family home.

She never had the chance to attend school, missing out on even nursery-level education. Her family could not afford the fees, meaning she spent her entire childhood staying at home.

Without an education, she spent her youth doing difficult manual labor in her village. She spent many years farming in people's fields and selling vegetables to help support her parents.

She eventually got married and moved to Shikangania, where she gave birth to her first child. Her husband passed away shortly after, leaving her entirely helpless and forced to return to her mother's home.

Later on, a man named Ibrahim Mwandi (husband to be) met her at her mother's compound and married her. They moved into a four-room mud house with no electricity in the Matopeni area, where she gave birth to seven more children.

The family faced extreme poverty, and five of her children, sadly, passed away due to illness. She was left to raise her remaining daughter and son under incredibly difficult conditions.

To feed her children and five dependent grandchildren, she resorted to brewing illegal local alcohol and selling samosas. The business was highly dangerous, and her husband was repeatedly arrested by the police during raids.

The family frequently experienced days with no income, forcing them to sleep on empty stomachs. The constant strain of starvation made life in the mud house an endless struggle for survival.

Her situation worsened significantly when she developed severe health issues, including ulcers, diabetes, and high blood pressure. She collapsed from high blood pressure, leading doctors to bar her from doing strenuous outdoor labor.

Her breakthrough came during a community meeting in Amalemba, where a lady named Rosi noticed her frail condition. A village elder, Kizito, later tracked her down to her home to assess her desperate situation.

She was officially registered into the Mama Ibado Charity senior citizens' assistance program on May 17, 2021, and began receiving monthly rations of maize flour, porridge flour, sugar, cooking oil, rice, milk, salt, and tea leaves.

The nutritional support immediately stabilized her household and relieved her of the constant worry over food. Furthermore, the program gave her access to regular medical check-ups every Thursday to manage her chronic diseases.

The impact of this intervention completely transformed her daily life and health.

"In the past, we lived in total misery, constantly fleeing the police and sleeping hungry while our health deteriorated. Today, Mama Ibado has brought peace to my home because my family is fed, and I receive medical care for my conditions."

She remains deeply thankful to the foundation for saving her family from the brink of starvation. The regular supply of milk and flour ensures that her five grandchildren have a reliable source of nutrition.

She still needs continuous assistance because her chronic illnesses and advanced age prevent her from earning an income. Donor support is vital to ensure she maintains her health and never returns to the days of starvation.