Kericho widowed mother of 8 appeals for help to educate her children

A 39-year-old widowed mother in Kericho County is appealing to well-wishers for support as she struggles to raise her eight children while caring for a child living with severe disability.

Caroline Tuikong, a resident of Otowi Village, has been the sole provider for her family since the death of her husband in 2019. She lives in a modest mud-walled house roofed with corrugated iron sheets, relying on limited means to sustain her household.

Her biggest challenge, she says, is caring for her six-year-old daughter, Blessing Chepchumba, who lives with severe cerebral palsy and requires constant attention.

“I never imagined I would one day have a child with special needs,” Tuikong said during an interview at her home. “When my husband passed away, I was pregnant with my last-born daughter, Blessing Chepchumba. Her birth was difficult and over time we realized she had serious health challenges.”

Tuikong explained that her daughter is fully dependent on her for nearly every aspect of daily life.

“She cannot chew or swallow solid food, so I must prepare liquid meals for her. She cannot sit, stand or move without full support. Although she cannot speak, she responds to touch and recognizes familiar voices. I have to bathe her, dress her and carry her most of the time,” she said.

The demanding nature of caregiving has made it difficult for Tuikong to engage in any form of income-generating activity.

ALSO READ:

Shidodo principal links bull fighting, gold mining to poor 2025 KCSE school performance

“My life revolves around taking care of her. She needs me all the time and I cannot leave her alone even for a short period,” she added.

With no stable income, the family depends on a small quarter-acre piece of land where they grow food mainly for subsistence. Although their home is connected to electricity, they lack running water and rely on harvesting rainwater for domestic use.

The financial strain has also taken a toll on her children’s education.

Her 19-year-old daughter is preparing to retake the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in hopes of improving her previous grade and secure a chance for further studies. Another son who recently completed his secondary education hopes to join a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution to study electrical engineering, but lacks the necessary fees.

Younger children in Grade 10, Grade 7 and Grade 4 also face uncertainty due to unpaid school fees and lack of essential learning materials.

Tuikong revealed that two of her daughters were forced to drop out of school and marry early due to financial hardship.

“It pains me that I could not support their education. Poverty pushed them to marry early because life at home was too difficult,” she said.

Despite the hardships, Tuikong remains hopeful that support will come her way. She is appealing to well-wishers, leaders and charitable organisations to assist her family with school fees, medical care for her daughter and improved living conditions.

“I only want a better future for my children,” she said.

Well-wishers wishing to support the family can reach Tuikong through her mobile number 0725 112 289.