Rose Khasiala was born in 1957 in Makhokho, Kakamega County. She was one of eleven children born to Jennifer and William, though the family has faced many losses and only two siblings survive today.She began her education at a local school but was only able to attend Classes 1 and 2. Her schooling stopped there because her parents did not have the means to support her further education.After leaving school, Rose stayed at home to assist her mother and father with the daily demands of their homestead. She spent her days farming, gathering firewood, and fetching water from the river to help maintain the family.In 1988, Rose entered her first marriage, which was later marked by a significant loss when her husband died in a road accident in Nakuru. All the children she had during that first marriage also died in that same accident, leaving her completely alone.She later remarried a man who worked as a motorcycle taxi driver, and they had one son together before her second husband also passed away. To support her young son, she took up manual labor, weeding the farms of neighbors whenever they had work to offer.Survival was difficult as she lived in a small mud house on a tiny compound with no land of her own to cultivate. There were many days when food was scarce, and she had to rely entirely on the small wages earned from digging in other people's fields.In April 2023, Rose was passing by the Mama Ibado offices when she noticed the door was open and decided to walk inside. She was feeling physically weak and hungry at the time, and after explaining her circumstances to the staff, she was registered for the support program."Before joining this program, I survived on irregular manual labor and often went without enough food, but now I have the security of knowing my household is provided for. This assistance has removed the heavy burden of hunger from my life and allows me to care for my young son."Through the program, Rose receives essential food supplies, including maize flour, rice, sugar, and salt. She also benefits from specialized healthcare services, visiting the clinic every Thursday for check-ups and medical monitoring to ensure her strength is maintained.Rose continues to require assistance, as she is a widow with no land and a son currently in Grade 7 who depends on her for everything. The consistent support of donors is the only way she can provide a stable home and keep her child in school.
