• On Thursday, a group of church members were preparing a feast for her neighbours at her home.
• Any hungry person would get something to eat.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
Three days ago, Peninah Bahati boiled stones to soothe her youngest children to sleep on the pretext they would eat on waking up.
In truth, Bahati, 36, and a widowed mother of eight had nothing to offer the children for dinner.
On Thursday, however, a group of church members were preparing a feast for her neighbours at her home. Any hungry person would get something to eat.
Since her plight was aired on national television on Wednesday, Bahati has had an outpouring of support of food, clothes, bedding from Kenyans.
It is to her express her gratitude that she decided to also feed her neighbours.
“I thank God. He has wiped my tears,” Bahati told the Star at her home on Thursday.
“And to thank Him I also decided that my neighbours have to enjoy His provision. They have to eat to their fill. If they are not satisfied more food will be cooked,” Bahati said.
On the day she boiled the stones, her older children realised her ruse.
“They told me ‘Ma, you are lying to us. You are only boiling stones. That is not food’,” Bahati said.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
Her fortunes have changed, for now. From the earth floor that they used to sleep on, now they have several comfortable mattresses.
Bahati has made the little-known Mleji village in Mlango Saba, Junda ward, Kisauni constituency the focus of national and international media.
She has also witnessed a spike in the number of visitors, including long-lost relatives.
On Thursday, Bahati had a hard time trying to control the number of people in her two-roomed house.
Good Samaritan Salim Mohamed, who donated food, face masks and some cash to Bahati, said this is the most dangerous time for the widow.
“The few minutes I have been here, I have seen how vulnerable she is right now. Her security is at stake,” Mohamed, popularly known as Tenge, said.
Tenge said he is working on a way to ensure some of Bahati’s children, who dropped out of school can resume learning.
“It is also prudent that we find a job for Bahati,” Tenge said.
Priscah Momanyi, a neighbour who helped highlight her predicament on social media, was apprehensive of friends and relatives who are now too friendly with Bahati.
Momanyi told the Star though she is grateful to see her neighbour smile again, she has noticed there are people out to take advantage of her.
“I have seen one or two people whose moves towards Bahati are not genuine,” she said.
She said they had lived with Bahati’s husband Kaingu Charo as good neighbours for over 10 years before he was killed by thugs in Guruguru village in Mariakani, Kilifi county last June.
“I know when widows start being blessed, there are people who come out of the forests and start pretending to be helpful while in actual sense they know what they want,” Momanyi said.
Over her dead body, she said. “God has heard her cry. Let her be blessed and let her enjoy her blessings in peace. She has suffered a lot,” Momanyi said.
Bahati hopes her eight children get a chance to get proper education which will help them and her in old age.
For now, she hopes she will get a job soon so she can continue providing for her family even after the coronavirus pandemic.
“This homestead is unkempt. It is not proper. I hope one day I will be able to build a proper one,” said Kadzo.
(edited by o. owino)