This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, a heart-wrenching story of a couple in Mathira, Nyeri County, who were on the verge of giving up their children due to poverty, caught the attention of Kenyans.
Samuel Ndungu and his wife Mary Nyambura Mwihaki, who have been married for five years, had been struggling to make ends meet. They had two young children, with the youngest being just 10 months old and the oldest five years old.
The couple's situation was dire, with Mr. Ndungu earning a meager Sh12 per kilo of tea he picked as a farmhand. On a good day, he could earn up to Sh240, but on bad days, his pay would be less than Sh100.
Mr. Ndungu shared with the Nation that in his last paycheck, he was paid a paltry Sh72 for six kilos of tea leaves picked. He narrated, 'When you are making that little money, putting food on the table is impossible. For us to decide to give away our children, it is because we did not want to see them starve.'
However, thanks to the kindness of Kenyans, the couple's situation has taken a dramatic turn. After their story was highlighted by NTV and the Nation, police officers from Karatina Police Station were the first to answer their distress call with food.
Politicians, neighbors, and corporates soon followed, with more Kenyans continuing to walk into the couple's temporary home with aid. Mr. Ndungu expressed his gratitude, saying, 'I honestly have no right words to thank those that came out to support us. We have been getting visitors and hundreds of phone calls from people willing to help.'
He added, 'We received a mattress, a lot of food, and even clothes. I was offered a job at a local supermarket, and my wife has also been getting job offers.'
The couple's temporary home, a tiny single-roomed house not bigger than ten square feet, has been transformed into a haven of hope. The family of four now has a stable source of income and a brighter future ahead of them.
