Sole breadwinner, homeless Rehema struggles to raise nine children

CHAMWINO, DODOMA: Rehema Mnyodo, 33, from Igamba Village in Chamwino District, Dodoma Region, faces the daunting task of raising nine children alone after her husband was jailed for murder.

The mother, who also cares for two-year-old triplets, survives on casual labour, making it difficult to provide even the family’s basic needs.

Her struggle has forced her six school-age children to remain at home despite the government’s fee-free education policy.

Whenever she secures temporary work, her older children are left to care for their younger siblings instead of attending school.

When the Daily News visited her temporary home, one of her daughters, aged 11, was looking after the triplets while another daughter, who is pregnant, also depended on Rehema for support.

The woman told this paper recently that her situation has worsened after she was forced to leave the family home following her husband’s imprisonment.

According to her, she now lives in a relative’s house, fearing eviction once the owner returns from Dar es Salaam

“I am the only breadwinner for my family. Whenever I find casual work, I thank God because it means my children will have something to eat. But because of the hardships we face, none of them has ever had the chance to go to school,” she said.

The Igamba Village Executive Officer, Ms Loveness Kimambo, said Rehema was enrolled in Save the Children’s Goat Project which provides milk for breastfeeding mothers.

However, she said the assistance is insufficient to meet the family’s growing needs.

“We have occasionally mobilised food donations from villagers, but the family urgently needs more support, especially to enable the children to attend school,” Ms Kimambo said.

She added that local leaders are concerned the family could soon become homeless again if no long-term assistance is secured.

Rehema’s story highlights how extreme poverty continues to deny some children access to education despite the availability of fee-free schooling.

It also underscores the need for vulnerable families to be identified and enrolled in social protection programmes such as the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF).

For Rehema, a helping hand could mean not only food and shelter but also a chance for her children to finally step into a classroom and build a better future.