This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
Eunice Atieno, a 38-year-old woman from Nyakach, Kisumu, has defied all odds to become a successful fruit vendor in Nakuru town.
Paralyzed by polio at the age of three, Atieno's life has been a struggle. Born in Nyakach, Kisumu, she was a normal child bubbling with life until polio struck, leaving her on crutches for over 25 years due to her parents' inability to afford a wheelchair.
At 15, she lost her parents, and by 21, she had made the difficult decision to leave Kisumu for Nakuru, where she hoped to find love and a better life. However, her husband left her three years later, leaving her with three children and a wheelchair.
With no other options, Atieno became a beggar, a decision she describes as the lowest moment of her life. However, in 2009, well-wishers donated a wheelchair, and she began her journey on the streets of Nakuru.
But in 2017, after eight years of begging, Atieno had a change of heart. She decided to throw away her begging plate and use her last Sh50 to buy a bunch of bananas at the market.
With the bananas, she headed back to Nakuru's CBD and, instead of begging, she sold the fruits on her wheelchair. To her surprise, she made a profit of Sh150 on her first day in business.
Two years later, Atieno owns a bustling fruit stall on Kenyatta Avenue in Nakuru town, making up to Sh700 on a good day. She urges others living with disability to resist the temptation to beg and instead find something to do.
"Begging is not the solution, get something to do," she says.
