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| Dolfine Dawa with the samaritan award she won for her acts of charity |
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It is a story that has a tragic beginning but a very happy ending. In 1995 Dolfine Gumba Dawa lost her first son as he underwent surgery after food poisoning, then in 1996 the only other remaining son to HIV AIDS. Some months later, she was forced to retire from her teaching career in Kisumu due to ill health. Her sorrows intensified and she was abandoned by family members. Alone and childless, it seemed as if her life had come to a standstill.
Facing a situation of such overwhelming sadness, her response was to offer assistance to those in need when others would have shut out the world. She started by opening her doors to orphans and widows, those who had been neglected by the community and those that had no place to call home. Today, Ms Dawa’s home is a beehive of activity, with a school, church and smiling grateful faces of children.
Jubilee Insurance recognises Dolfine Dawa’s strength of character and her selfless dedication to giving orphans and widows in Kisumu a new lease on life, and awards her the Jubilee Insurance Samaritan Award.
“Nowadays our society is so acquisitive and materialistic that we tend to forget the value of serving our fellow men; and that is why Ms Dawa’s story is a real inspiration,” said Jubilee Group Chairman Nizar Juma. “Through this award, Jubilee hopes to laud these selfless acts and in so doing encourage other Kenyans to be mindful of the welfare of the less fortunate members of the society.”
Today, Ms Dawa supports her new big ‘family’ by making building blocks in her homestead and selling them to local builders. Through this small initiative, she has been able to pay school fees for her children, with some performing exceptionally and attracting sponsorship for further education abroad. One such lady, a 28 year old widow who lost her husband to HIV AIDS, came to her determined to complete her education. She sat her KCPE and attained 358 marks. After a one year break due to ill health, she was put on anti retroviral drugs and joined Moi Forces Academy for her secondary education. The lady is now sitting for her final exams later this year.
Genuine heart
Ms Dawa and her husband Mr Oliech have instituted other income generating activities over the years, and are now teaching others in the community how to supplement their monthly activities and support their families. They started with a brick making business, and today have built a school in their compound for 160 pupils: 22 of whom are orphans and live in the school. Approximately 40 students have proceeded to secondary school. When the school closes for holidays, the younger girls sleep on her living room floor because the rest of the house is already full of teenage girls and young ones.
“We do not have enough accommodation, but we know that it is our responsibility to take care of them. At least they have food, clothing, education and a place to call home. We don’t mind turning the living room into a bedroom at night,” says Ms Dawa.
The Olieches have also built a church in the compound, which is used by the school and some villagers during Sunday services. The school hall serves as an examination hall during National examinations. They have constructed four fish ponds, and they rear cows and goat. The farm produce is used as food and sold for money.
“Ms Dawa’s story demonstrates a rare genuine heart helping others in need, and by awarding her, we hope to inspire the same spirit in others in our society,” said Jeff Koinange, a JISA panel judge.
As she received the award at a ceremony held in her honour at the Serena Nairobi, Ms Dawa said: “I thank Jubilee so much for recognising me with this award. I am very encouraged to do much more. More so, I feel happy that these acts which I did openheartedly have given someone a second chance.”
The JISA award, which is part of Jubilee’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, was established in 2006, and seeks to raise the profile of members of society who are passionate about the welfare of those around them. The award programme is executed by a Panel composed of media practitioners in Kenya, who from the nature of their work encounter individuals going out of their way to perform humbling acts.
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