Sakaja Steps in for Woman Forced to Abandon Child to Hustle for Food

Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson, through his non-profit organization known as the Sakaja Foundation, has stepped in to assist an impoverished single mother named Gladys Atieno from the Kariobangi area.

Atieno's dire situation, in the midst of an escalating cost of living, captured the spotlight across multiple social media platforms. The weight of financial difficulties had pushed her to the edge, with thoughts of giving up and committing suicide crossing her mind. However, Sakaja's team intervened, offering a glimmer of hope as they personally reached out to Atieno and bestowed upon her an abundance of much-needed donations.

Atieno received a variety of contributions, such as food supplies, infant necessities, fuel for cooking, a cosy mattress, and a bunk bed. A concerned neighbour recounts a heartbreaking story of how Atieno nearly abandoned her newborn in her desperate fight for survival. The three-hour-old infant was left wrapped in a filthy cloth as the mother left to hustle for food.

"I delivered on the night of Wednesday, and because I had no money to keep the infant, I was forced to go out to hustle for food and house rent. When I came back from the hustle with only Sh50, I was shocked to see emotional neighbours carrying the infant," says Atieno.

Atieno was taken aback when she returned from her struggles with only Sh50 and discovered her emotional neighbours carrying her baby. As part of the intervention, Atieno has also been relocated from her shanty dwelling to a more respectable rental house. Fortunately, the Sakaja Foundation came to her aid by paying her rent for the next two months. The foundation strives to assist underprivileged individuals and families through private funding efforts led by Governor Sakaja. A video of Atieno's plight had gone viral on social media before the foundation stepped in to help.