TUME NYABASA

In Kambi Garba, Tume Nyabasa has spent much of her life doing whatever it took to keep her family going. Her journey has been shaped by loss, hard work, and years of determination to provide for her children despite having very little to rely on. When her husband died in 2000, Tume was left to raise her children on her own. She had no property or assets to fall back on and no reliable source of income. Living in a modest grass-thatched house, she faced the difficult responsibility of providing for her family while navigating the challenges of life as a single mother.

With few opportunities available to her, Tume turned to herding goats as a way of earning a living. She worked tirelessly, often under difficult conditions, to ensure that there was food in the household and that her children had the opportunity to attend school. Her work was demanding, but she remained determined to give her children a better chance despite the circumstances she faced. Her son, Abdikadir, grew up witnessing the sacrifices his mother made to keep the family together. As the years passed, however, financial hardship remained a constant part of their lives. Abdikadir has struggled to find stable employment, leaving the household with limited and unreliable income. As Tume grew older, meeting the family's basic needs became increasingly difficult.

For a woman who had spent decades working to provide for her family, old age brought a new set of challenges. The work that had sustained her for years was no longer as easy, while the household still depended on limited resources. Food, one of the most basic necessities, could not always be taken for granted.

A change came when the Mama Ibado Initiative began supporting vulnerable older people in Kambi Garba. After Tume's circumstances were assessed, she was enrolled in the monthly food assistance program, giving her household access to a regular supply of food. The support has brought much-needed stability to a family that has lived with uncertainty for many years. Knowing that food assistance is available each month has eased the pressure of having to constantly find ways to meet their basic nutritional needs. It has also reduced some of the financial strain on Abdikadir, who remains unemployed and has limited means to support his mother.

For Tume, the assistance represents more than the food she receives each month. It has brought a sense of security at a stage of life when providing for herself has become increasingly difficult. After spending much of her life caring for her children and working to keep her household afloat, she now has dependable support to help meet one of her most basic needs. Today, Tume continues to live in Kambi Garba with greater stability than before. The support from the Mama Ibado Initiative has helped ease some of the burdens she has carried for years, while also providing relief to the family around her.