Othaya widows and the poor get modern houses in new project

Joyce Wagaki, 90, with her son Charles Macharia outside their new timber house. [Jefitha Mwai, Standard]

"Life has not been easy; my children are unemployed, and when my mother becomes ill, the hospital bills become prohibitively expensive; the mud house was too cold for a person her age," he added.

Macharia said community members who were assisting their family had spoken with area MP Wambugu Wainaina, who was leading an initiative to build three-bedroom houses for those living in mud-walled shacks.

"After the MP launched the initiative, the community forwarded our family's name because they have been helping our family, and the MP sent building materials two months ago," he said.

He said because his neighbours volunteered to help with the construction, it only took them five days to complete the three-bedroom house.

"Because I'm a carpenter, it didn't take us long to build the house, and there were also other members from my village who offered a helping hand, and the materials were delivered on time," he said.

Macharia expressed gratitude, saying their mother has moved into the house and that they no longer have to pay large hospital bills because the house is warmer than the mud hut.

"As a family, we are very happy; we never imagined that one day we would live in a modern house," he said. Margret Wanjiru, a housewife in Mutitu village, said she had never lived in a mud house before marrying, but in order to demonstrate her commitment to her marriage, she moved in with her husband in the house inherited from his uncle.

"When we moved to his village with my husband, he had no place to sleep and was given a small mud hut by one of his relatives," she said.

The mother of two also said during the rainy season, the house would flood and her children would become ill on a regular basis.

So far, 70 houses have been built, 40 of which have cemented floors to improve sanitation and keep parasites like jiggers at bay.

Wainaina said the initiative aims to eradicate poverty in the constituency by providing residents with affordable and decent housing.

"As I went around during the campaigns, I discovered that many residents were affected by jiggers as a result of their extreme poverty," he said.