26 widows get new homes in empowerment push

The Widows Empowerment Programme has constructed 26 new homes for vulnerable widows across Kenya, offering shelter, dignity, and renewed hope to women navigating life after loss.

 In 2025, the initiative extended its reach far beyond housing, supporting 377 widow groups and impacting 22,620 beneficiaries through a wide range of social and economic interventions.

The housing programme spans counties including Homa Bay, Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Machakos, and Makueni, targeting widows most at risk of poverty, displacement, and social exclusion.

Among the beneficiaries is Caroline Akinyi Odoyo, a 33-year-old mother of six from Kolwa East Ward in Kisumu East Constituency. Widowed three years ago, Caroline received a home through the Kaa Ngumu Widows group, a turning point she describes as life-changing.

“Life hasn’t been easy. I lost my husband three years ago, and with six children to care for, the weight of responsibility felt crushing,” she said.

In Kabondo Kasipul Constituency, Homa Bay County, Dorcas Achieng’ Osewe, 73, a member of Fema Widows, also received a new home after years of hardship.

“I’ve weathered storms that would break the strongest of spirits,” she said, reflecting on life after being widowed years ago in rural Kasipul.

Other housing beneficiaries include Rose Achieng’ Odhiambo of Wachara Widows in Karachuonyo Constituency, Margaret Awuor Odieny of Wedewo Widows in Seme, Hellen Achieng’ in Uriri, Migori County, and Dorcas Nzilani Muindi in Mwala, Machakos County. 

Each home represents not just shelter, but stability in communities where widows are often left vulnerable to eviction and poverty.

Beyond building homes, the Widows Empowerment Programme has rolled out broad-based material and economic support aimed at strengthening self-reliance.

Over 40 widow groups received between 50 and 100 plastic chairs, benefiting groups such as Ogam Widows and Happy Widows in Kisumu, with tents provided to select groups to support income-generating activities. 

5,000-litre water tanks were distributed to groups, including Wagwe South Widows in Karachuonyo and Wedewo Widows in Seme, improving access to clean water and reducing daily household burdens.

New homeowners were also supported with furniture, while 69 widow groups received seedlings to boost farming and food security, including Ywaya Widows in Ugunja, Siaya County. 

In the education sector, the programme donated books to nine schools, among them Kikumbo Secondary School in Machakos County, and distributed wheelchairs to persons with disabilities, extending its impact beyond widows alone.

For many beneficiaries, the support has marked a transition from survival to stability. Margaret Awuor Odieny, who received both a house and a water tank in Seme Constituency, said the assistance has restored her sense of independence and dignity.

Collectively, these stories reflect the programme’s guiding motto, “Giving Hope”, a philosophy that blends economic empowerment with emotional and social support for widows often overlooked by traditional aid systems.

By combining housing, livelihoods support, education, and community infrastructure, the Widows Empowerment Programme continues to redefine what holistic empowerment looks like for widows across Kenya.