Our Amazing Nasio Guardians: Case Studies
June 2021
Halima Okunja
Halima Okunja is 53 years old from Shitukhumi village and Nasio Trust guardian for the last five years.
She is a mother of three daughters and a grandmother to three grand daughters. Her first born daughter died three years ago and she had to take care of the three grandchildren, two of this grandchildren namely Sheila Amanya, 10 years old and Leila Wanga, 6 years old are Nasio Trust sponsored children since 2016.Halima lives with this two grandchildren alone, her husband lives with his first wife and comes once in a while to check on them. She has specialized in farming as the main source of income to enable her get food for the family as well as pay school fees for her last born who is in the university and the three grandchildren one in class 6 and the two in grade two.
Halima is also a Village Administrator where she resides in Shitukhumi, this has enabled her interact more with other parents having different problems including marriage issues, land issues, and other social issues affecting the community, to add on that she is also the Chairperson h of Noah’s Ark guardians, she leads them during volunteering program at the farm and other activities, she also works closely with the local administration like the Assistant Chief to help solve cases within the community and also maintain peace and security in the community.
Halima has confessed that despite the challenges she faces as a parent, Nasio Trust has also held her hand in so many ways including when she was affected with floods. She is also so grateful for the support she has received from Nasio Trust and One Acre Fund partnership which enabled her to start up kitchen garden and poultry projects which are now picking up well and she believes that with the training and the skills gained from NASIO TRUST she will be able to sustain the two projects.
All this work that Halima does plus the experience she has, has helped her have the correct parenting skills bearing in mind that she is raising her grand children who are girls, sometimes raising girls is a bit difficult since they are more vulnerable compared to boys. She has also guided other parents on good ways of taking care of their families both Noah’s Ark and communities. She has also advised them on being self-sustainable by preparing things like kitchen garden that will enable them acquire vegetables and also help them earn a living without depending on Nasio trust.
Thumbs up to Halima!
Esther Adhiambo
Esther Adhiambo is a 33 year old widow whose husband died of typhoid in 2016 and she was left with three children Marion Akinyi,9years old, Calvin Amwayi, 7 years old and Travis Amwayi, 4years. Esther comes from Buria village, Musanda sub location where she lives with her three children. Her late husband had two wives her being the first wife.
Esther joined Nasio Trust in 2017 where her daughter Marion was admitted to the Nasio sponsorship program. Esther has been a hardworking and devoted guardian and through that Nasio Trust constructed a house for her in July 2017. She has continued being part of the Nasio family by supporting the guardians programme and always volunteering in the farms.
Last year December she started volunteering as a Community Health Volunteer (CHV) under Nasio Trust where she had the chance to interact with families within the community by empowering them on the importance of family care, health and sanitation and the importance of having an independent community. She works closely with Nasio Trust to ensure the well being of all Nasio Trust families and children, she does this by doing weekly home visits and reporting feedback to Nasio Trust under Community Liaison Department and also mobilize pregnant mothers in the community and referring them for antenatal care at Nasio Trust medical facility which has really raised the number of deliveries in the facility.
Nasio Trust is proud to have Esther because she works hard to take care of her children and also supporting and educating the community and Nasio Trust activities.
This story is listed in: About Nasio, Success Stories
