Widows Empowerment Programme Gives Margaret and Wilkester New Homes [Video]

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo’s Widows Empowerment Programme has handed over a newly built and furnished house to Wilkister Akoth Nyamwala, a beneficiary from the Maisha Ngumu Widows Group in Rangwe Constituency. 

Nyamwala, 47, received the house in Kochia Ward, Homa Bay County, in an initiative aimed at improving the living conditions of vulnerable widows by providing them with safe and dignified homes. 

Living with a disability that affects her mobility, Nyamwala faces challenges that make access to safe and suitable housing particularly important. 

The new home is expected to provide her with greater comfort, security, and independence.

For Nyamwala, the house marks a new chapter, offering her a place where she can live with dignity and face each day with renewed hope.

Her story is part of a wider effort by the widows’ empowerment programme to support vulnerable women who face difficult living conditions and need assistance to secure decent housing. 

The programme has also benefited 72-year-old Margaret Juma Okelo, a member of the Mango Tree Widows Group in West Gem Ward, Rangwe Constituency, Homa Bay County.

Okelo’s new home is intended to provide her with security and comfort as she enters her later years, ensuring she has a safe place to live and enjoy greater peace of mind.

The two beneficiaries have different circumstances, but their experiences highlight the importance of providing vulnerable widows with housing that supports their dignity and well-being.

Through the initiative, the programme seeks to address the housing challenges faced by widows, particularly those who require additional support because of age, disability or difficult socioeconomic circumstances.

Beyond providing physical structures, the initiative aims to give beneficiaries a renewed sense of security and belonging by ensuring they have places they can proudly call home.

Elsewhere, a 90-year-old widow in Homa Bay County received a new home, bringing an end to years of living in difficult conditions.

Hellena Adera Opundo, who hails from Kanyadota Ward in Nziwa Constituency, had struggled for years without a decent home. 

The 90-year-old widow has also endured significant personal loss, having lost five of her seven children.

According to Helena’s daughter, Mary Atieno, her mother has struggled since the death of her father. 

"We were seven siblings in our family, two girls and five boys. All the boys died, and we have remained just the two of us, my sister and I. My mother has suffered all this while since our dad departed," Atieno narrated. 

The 90-year-old was identified as one of the elderly widows living in difficult conditions, and a decision was made to build her a safe, dignified, and comfortable home.

The construction of Helena’s new house began with the foundation, followed by the gradual erection of the walls, completion of the rooms, and installation of the roof.

The completion of the house became a moment of celebration for the community, with family members, neighbors and well-wishers gathering to witness Helena moving into her new home. 

For the 90-year-old widow, the new house represents more than shelter. It is a reminder that she has not been forgotten, that her life and story matter, and that even in old age, a new beginning is still possible.

"My house was leaking when it rained. I am thankful for the support you have given me. I wish you the best of life and good health. PS Raymond Omollo, thank you so much; be blessed," Hellena said.