Kalumera Thuranira is a 63 year old widow from Mumui sub location of Meru in the semi-arid region. Kalumera is seen as an outcast in the community as she is deaf and dumb and has no children. Her husband died 20 years ago who had married her as a second wife. Kalumera lives a lonely and alienated life.
Though not a member of women groups CIFORD is working with, she have been identified as one of the most vulnerable members of the Mumui community. When we visited her at her home her jovial mood left us confused of her state but since of her physical challenge we could not talk alot.
Women like Kalumera pass through a lot especially during the dry season that dominates better part of the year in this region. Kalumera walks for over 10 KM in search of water which exposes her to risk with her condition when she walks alone. Due to lack of her communication, she cannot be able to get somebody to help her with food and she always depends on the little she harvest when there is rain and well-wishers.
Many women like Kalumera are always poor, depressed and lonely. To appreciate and give hope to such women CIFORD has been supporting them in different ways where some receive food stuff, blankets and other items as per their immediate. Kalumera has been identified as vulnerable person and needs help. Kalumera needs a water tank to harvest rain water for use for domestic use and kitchen gardening, but as a result of limited resources not all women can be reached. As we were doing door to door campaign on COVID 19 and distributing the soap and mask we met women like Kalumera 15 of them who are having challenges looking for water. To support Kalumera and other women like her to access water tank costs only US $250 per tank.
