Tabitha Etabale

Tabitha, a widow from Al-Karim, has endured a lifetime of struggles, sacrifice, and resilience. As a mother of five children—two daughters and three sons—she once hoped for a future where family would stand by her side in old age. However, three of her children abandoned her over 20 years ago, leaving her without contact or support.

Now, Tabitha lives with her two unmarried daughters and six grandchildren, all of whom depend on her for survival, despite her inability to fend for herself. With no steady income, she resorted to begging for food from neighbors and local authorities, doing whatever she could to keep her family from going hungry.

For five years, she boiled maize and hawked it, struggling to earn enough to feed her household. The burden of this work took a serious toll on her health, and she was eventually diagnosed with hypertension. To make matters worse, she lost vision in her left eye, and doctors warned her to stop all manual labor, cautioning that the heavy smoke from firewood could cause complete blindness.

Despite her own struggles and declining health, Tabitha continued working because the little money she earned not only bought food but also paid for her grandchildren’s medical needs. Even in her deepest struggles, her generosity never wavered. Although she desperately needed every coin, she would often share her boiled maize with her grandchildren, her daughters, and even neighbors in need. Because she cooked outside, some neighbors would pull up seats, waiting for food, and she would never turn them away.

In November 2024, Tabitha was enrolled in the Mama Ibado Charity (MIC) seniors' feeding program, a much-needed relief in her life. The monthly food rations have eased her burden of providing for her household, ensuring that she and her family no longer have to rely on begging or exhausting manual labor.

Though life remains difficult, Tabitha finds comfort in knowing she is not alone. With the support of MIC, she no longer has to sacrifice her health for survival, and she continues to care for her family with the same selfless love that has carried her through life’s many challenges.

“Even when I had nothing, I shared what I had. Now, I no longer have to worry about where the next meal will come from,” she says.