SHABAN RUKIA TSISIKA

Rukia Shabani was born in Idakho in 1950 and grew up as the fifth child in a family of seven children. Life at home was difficult from the start, as her family faced the hardship of losing several siblings over the years. Eventually, only three girls from the original family remained, as the others passed away during their youth.

She began her education with high hopes, but her journey was cut short when she reached Class Five. Her father, who supported the family through manual labor, suffered a severe injury after being attacked while away from home, which resulted in a broken arm. With the primary breadwinner unable to work and her mother having no source of income, Rukia was forced to drop out of school to help sustain the household.

After leaving school, she stayed at home and took on various forms of manual labor to assist her family. She spent her days fetching water for neighbors and tilling their land in exchange for small amounts of food or money. These early experiences of toil defined her transition into adulthood, as she worked tirelessly without any formal employment to rely on.

Rukia eventually married, they were blessed with eight children. Her husband was a small-scale businessman who struggled to keep his ventures afloat, while Rukia supported the family by doing casual labor for others. Life became significantly harder in 1992 when her husband passed away suddenly, leaving her to raise their surviving children alone during a period where three of their children also passed away.

The struggle to raise her remaining children was immense, as she lacked the funds to provide them with a proper education beyond primary school or basic secondary levels. She continued to do grueling manual work like weeding farms and carrying water for others just to get a meal for her kids, often facing days where there was nothing at all to eat. As she grew older, her physical strength began to fail, leaving her in a state of deep vulnerability and hunger.

Her breakthrough came when a neighbor noticed her suffering and introduced her to the Mama Ibado Charity. A representative from the organization visited her home to assess her situation and subsequently registered her as a beneficiary. She now receives monthly rations of four packets of maize flour, two kilograms of rice, two kilograms of sugar, two kilograms of cooking oil, salt, and porridge flour.

"In the past, I lived a life of constant wandering and manual labor just to find a single meal, but since being included in this program, the heavy burden of hunger has been lifted from my home," said Rukia Shabani.

Beyond the nutritional support, Rukia benefits from the organization's healthcare program, which is vital for her aging body. She visits the clinic every Thursday for a regular medical check-up, ensuring that her health is monitored even though she no longer has the strength to work. This comprehensive care has reduced her stress and allowed her to live with dignity despite her lack of personal income.

"Before Mama Ibado remembered me, I was a woman left to the mercy of the wind with no strength left to dig, but today I sleep in peace knowing that my kitchen is never empty," said Rukia Shabani.

Rukia still needs help because she is an elderly widow with no stable source of income or physical strength to perform manual labor. Although her surviving children are grown, they are also struggling with poverty in their own homes and are unable to provide her with the consistent food and medical care she requires to survive.