Every morning, Mumbe opens the doors of her small shop in Mwingi town in Kitui County, Kenya, with a quiet pride.  

The once half-empty shelves now hold flour, sugar, soap, and salt. Neighbors stop by not only to buy goods but to share a laugh or a kind word. This modest shop represents far more than a business — it is a symbol of hope and new beginnings for Mumbe and her family. 

“Just a year ago, life was unbearable,” Mumbe said, her voice steady but heavy. “We went to bed hungry many nights. There was no food in the house, not even maize flour to make porridge. We had to sell all our goats and even the cow, just to provide for our basic needs. When the children got sick, I had no money for medicine. And school? They stayed home for weeks. I felt like I was failing them.” 

The family’s struggles began in 2018 when Mumbe’s husband, Jacob, was caught in a violent protest in Mandera. After police killed three suspected al-Shabab militants, angry residents turned on nonlocal Christians, stoning two men to death. Jacob was severely beaten, suffering head and arm injuries, and was airlifted to Kenyatta National Hospital. Though he survived, he couldn’t return to his masonry work. The family fled to Kiwanza village, where they sank into poverty and uncertainty. 

“We tried to survive on small casual jobs,” Mumbe said. “I was tired of all the struggles, even though I worked very hard every day.” 

Things began to change in March 2024, when International Christian Concern (ICC) helped Mumbe set up a small shop.  

“When ICC came in, I felt like someone had seen our pain,” she said. “They helped me open this shop with a small stock of goods. I started small, selling sugar, cooking oil, and salt. I reinvested every shilling I earned, and little by little, the shelves began to fill up. Customers started coming regularly, and for the first time in years, we had a stable source of income.” 

Today, the transformation is clear — not just in the shop, but in Mumbe herself. 

“I can now provide for my children,” she said, smiling. “We eat three meals a day. If one of them gets sick, I don’t panic, I can take them to the clinic. They’re all back in school, and my eldest son is even at the university. That gives me so much joy and gratitude in my heart.” 

Her shop is more than a business. It’s a place of hope and restoration. 

“This shop gave me a purpose,” Mumbe said. “I’m no longer just surviving, I’m living. I’m a mother who can provide. I’m a woman who can stand.” 

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