UMBE ALATAPA LUBUI

Umbe Alatapa’s life has been marked by displacement, loss, and resilience. She moved to Isiolo after violent community clashes forced her family to flee their home. During the upheaval, all of their livestock were taken, and the family was left without any property or means of livelihood. The house she now lives in is not her own, and for years she relied on the generosity of neighbors to find shelter. Recently, the neighbor who had provided her with a home informed her that she would need to leave because the house is slated for demolition. Another neighbor has kindly offered her a temporary place to stay as she searches for a more permanent home. Finding land in the area, however, remains extremely difficult, leaving her with uncertainty about the future.

Tragedy has touched Umbe’s life repeatedly. Her husband passed away, leaving her to raise their family alone. When they relocated during the community clashes, she lost her two children, an event that left her heartbroken. Today, Umbe is the primary caregiver for her grandchildren, whose mother—her daughter—also passed away. She shoulders the responsibility of raising them, providing for their daily needs, and keeping them safe, despite the emotional and financial challenges she faces.

Life for Umbe has been a constant struggle. Before receiving support, she had to find ways to put food on the table by burning and selling charcoal or making wooden cooking sticks to sell. These meager sources of income were physically exhausting and insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of her grandchildren. Each day was filled with uncertainty, and the thought of not being able to feed her family weighed heavily on her.

Her situation began to improve when she became a beneficiary of Mama Ibado Charity. The food support has been transformative, providing consistent nourishment for her and her grandchildren. It has relieved some of the daily pressure of survival, allowing her to focus on other necessities, like basic household needs and vegetables to complement the food she receives. The support has also given her a sense of stability and hope that she had not experienced in many years.