Mary Otieno is a mother of four in Siaya County. After losing her husband in 2018, she struggled to provide education and healthcare for her children. That is when GLOBCOM’s Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) support program stepped in.
“I did not know where to turn,” Mary says. “I had no income, my children were missing school, and the youngest had a persistent cough. A neighbor told me about GLOBCOM.”
GLOBCOM’s case workers conducted a home visit within two weeks. They enrolled Mary’s children in the OVC program, which provided school fee support, health insurance linkage, and monthly family strengthening sessions.
Her youngest son, who had the persistent cough, was found to have tuberculosis. GLOBCOM linked the family to the nearest TB clinic where he received free treatment and fully recovered.
“All four of my children are in school now. The eldest is in Form Three. Before GLOBCOM, I thought she would drop out,” Mary said, her eyes bright.
GLOBCOM’s OVC program currently supports over 1,200 households in Siaya, Kisumu, and Kilifi counties.