In the quiet, rocky shores of Lake Victoria in Siaya County, western Kenya, a transformation is quietly rewriting the lives of some of the region’s most vulnerable women.
For decades, widows in Got Matar village endured leaking mud-walled homes, relentless poverty, the shadow of HIV/AIDS, and harmful cultural practices like wife inheritance that stripped them of security and dignity.
Today, many are stepping into sturdy, permanent houses complete with rainwater harvesting tanks—symbols not just of shelter, but of reclaimed agency and hope.
“This home is more than bricks and mortar—it is dignity, security, and hope for me and my family,” says Beatrice Achieng Ouma, a widow and mother who recently received one of the new homes.
“Today I can sleep peacefully. I no longer worry about my children’s safety. For years, I lived in a leaky mud-walled house, constantly anxious whenever it rained, fearing for my children’s lives and our future. Now, with a permanent house and access to clean water, I feel safe, empowered, and able to plan for a better life.”
Beatrice is one of dozens of widows benefiting from an ambitious housing initiative led by the Got Matar Community Development Group (CBO), a grassroots organization determined to break cycles of poverty and gender-based oppression in this fishing community.
A Village Shaped by Hardship
Got Matar, a remote village characterized by rocky terrain and thick shrub vegetation, has long depended on fishing in Lake Victoria for survival.
Yet the community has been battered by multiple crises: high HIV/AIDS prevalence, extreme poverty, early marriages, and the persistent practice of wife inheritance—a customary arrangement where a widow is “inherited” by a male relative of her late husband.
This tradition, intended in the past to provide economic protection, has in modern times often become exploitative.
Widows frequently lose control of land and property, face physical and sexual violence, and are exposed to health risks, including HIV transmission. Orphans left behind are similarly vulnerable, deepening intergenerational poverty.
Grace Ochieng, coordinator of the Got Matar Community Development Group, has witnessed the toll firsthand.
“A permanent house with an installed water tank for a widow is more than just a house—it is dignity,” she explains. “Our initiative aims to curb retrogressive practices like wife inheritance, which expose widows and orphans to violence and exploitation by opportunistic inheritors.”
By providing secure, independent housing, the CBO is giving widows legal and physical leverage to refuse unwanted inheritance, retain custody of their children, and rebuild their lives on their own terms.
How the Housing Project Works
The CBO identifies the most vulnerable widows—often those heading child-headed households or living in dilapidated structures—and constructs modern iron-sheet-roofed homes with solid walls and rainwater harvesting systems. Each house includes:
- Durable brick or block walls
- Iron-sheet roofing that withstands heavy tropical rains
- A 5,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank for year-round clean water
- Separate latrines to improve sanitation and privacy
Funding comes from a mix of community contributions, local fundraising, faith-based partners, and small grants from Kenyan and international donors passionate about women’s land and housing rights.
Since the program began gaining momentum in recent years, more than 50 widows have moved into new homes, with dozens more on the waiting list.
Beyond bricks and mortar, the CBO offers training in financial literacy, small business development, and HIV awareness, ensuring the women can sustain themselves long-term.
A Ripple Effect of Empowerment
The impact extends far beyond four walls. Children of beneficiary widows now attend school more regularly, freed from the constant threat of displacement or having to care for leaking roofs during storms.
Health outcomes improve with reliable access to clean water and reduced exposure to damp, mold-ridden mud homes.
Most importantly, the visible presence of independent, secure homes sends a powerful message to the wider community: widows are not property to be inherited—they are rights-bearing individuals deserving of respect and autonomy.
“This project has given me a voice,” Beatrice Achieng reflects, standing proudly in front of her new home. “Got Matar Community Development Group didn’t just build me a house. They reminded me—and everyone else—that my life still matters.”
A Model for Rural Kenya and Beyond
In a country where land and housing remain among the most contested resources—especially for women—the Got Matar initiative offers a scalable, community-led model for protecting widows’ rights.
Similar efforts are now being studied by NGOs and county governments across Nyanza and western Kenya.
As climate change intensifies rainfall patterns and poverty continues to intersect with gender inequality, projects like this prove that targeted, dignity-centered interventions can break cycles that have persisted for generations.
In Got Matar village, the sound of hammers on iron sheets has replaced the drip of rainwater through cracked mud walls. And for widows like Beatrice and countless others, that sound is nothing short of a new beginning.
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