Siaya: Deep in the heart of Siaya County on the shores of Lake Victoria, about 47 miles from Kenya’s third-largest city, Kisumu, lies a village of renewed hope and dignity. Got Matar village, known for its rocky landscape and thick shrub bushes, is witnessing a transformation thanks to the interventions of a Community Based Organization (CBO) that is slowly bringing smiles back to its most vulnerable group: the widows.
According to Kenya News Agency, Got Matar village, ravaged by HIV/AIDS and high levels of poverty, struggles under the weight of harmful cultural practices like wife inheritance. These practices have not only increased the number of widows in the village but also perpetuated high poverty levels. Thanks to the Got Matar Community Development Group, the once grim story of the stony village is changing, as widows who once lived in leaky mud-walled houses now benefit from newly constructed permanent homes, restoring dignity to their lives.
Got Matar CBO coordinator Grace Ochieng explained that a permanent house with an installed water tank provides more than just shelter for a widow-it offers dignity. The initiative aims to curb retrogressive practices of wife inheritance, which expose widows and orphans to risks of violence. “We construct these houses for widows whose partners left them without homes or in dilapidated shelters. The aim is to protect widows and their children from men who promise decent homes but use and abandon them,” Ochieng stated.
Beatrice Achieng Ouma, a widow since 2014, expressed her gratitude upon moving into her newly constructed home. “Today, I will get a good sleep after years of worry,” Beatrice shared. She is the second beneficiary this year, with two more units nearing completion, bringing the total to four in 2025.
Grace Ochieng revealed plans to build an additional thirty-three housing units by the end of next year. The first two units were sponsored by the McMillan family, while the ongoing constructions are funded by the Gustafson family from the USA. “We have over 90 widows profiled, and our goal is to build 33 units annually for the next three years, though we rely heavily on sponsorships from abroad,” Ochieng added.
The project collaborates with the Got Matar Institute of Technology, offering students opportunities for apprenticeships. George Odhiambo Aketch, a tutor at the institute, highlighted the mutual benefits for both the widows and students. “Our students gain practical skills here, saving significant costs,” he noted.
Students Christopher Omondi Ouma and Sharon Atieno Okinda expressed gratitude for the invaluable skills gained through their involvement in the project. Implemented against the backdrop of the recently passed widows protection bill by the Siaya County Assembly, the initiative aims to protect and empower widows both socially and economically.
In a region with a high number of widows and an HIV prevalence rate of 23% (as per the 2022 KDHS report), it remains to be seen if the new bill will address funding gaps in widow empowerment projects, currently reliant on limited donor funding and overseas sponsorship.
