In Ng’ei village, Athi Ward, Elizabeth Masua’s days have always been defined by resilience and quiet strength. Before sunrise, she tends to her small plot of pigeon peas (mbaazi), the harvest she sells to feed her family. Yet farming has never been her greatest challenge.
For years, Elizabeth’s deepest responsibility was caring for four of her six children who lived in darkness.
All eight of Elizabeth’s children were born healthy. But when Mutinda (26), Martin (12), Kennedy (14), and Faith (8) reached the age of three, each began struggling with their vision. What started as a minor concern quickly turned into a life-altering reality; they lost their sight. Elizabeth took them to the local public hospital, hoping for simple treatment. Instead, she returned with eye drops that brought no change. The children’s world slowly faded into a blur and eventually, darkness.
For over a decade, the four children navigated life through sound, touch, and smell. Simple daily tasks, such as walking, dressing, eating, or finding objects, required constant assistance from their mother. Elizabeth became their eyes, their guide, and their anchor.
Determined to give them a future, she enrolled Kennedy and Martin in nursery school. Their teacher soon noticed they could recite lessons but could not write. The painful truth emerged: they could not see well enough to learn. The teacher recommended a school for the visually impaired, but with no financial means, Elizabeth had no choice but to keep them at home for more than seven years.
Life became an endless cycle of hardship. Elizabeth could rarely leave the house, fearing for her children’s safety. The family survived on just one meal a day. The children had no proper bedding. The weight of constant caregiving, poverty, and uncertainty pushed Elizabeth into depression. For years, she stopped searching for solutions.
A Glimmer of Support
In September 2024, hope quietly began to return. Through the Centre for Medical Mobilisation Board (CMMB Kenya) Sustainable Livelihoods Project (SLP), the area chief identified Elizabeth’s family as extremely vulnerable. They were enrolled in a monthly unconditional cash transfer program.
The support brought immediate relief. “I could finally buy enough food,” Elizabeth recalls. “We no longer survive on one meal a day. I was also able to buy mattresses and bedding for the children.”
CMMB Kenya’s team went further. They visited multiple schools for the blind across Ikanga, Machakos, Kitui, and Thika, but all required a proper medical assessment first. This renewed search for answers led them to Ikutha Level 4 Hospital, where an ophthalmologist examined the children and made a life-changing discovery: the children were suffering from treatable cataracts.
A second confirmation at Kitui County Referral Hospital brought the same hopeful news: surgery could restore their sight.
From Despair to Surgery
Initial plans for surgery in December 2025 faced delays due to limited theatre space. Once again, hope seemed to fade. But during a household visit in July 2025, CMMB Kenya recognised the full scale of Elizabeth’s burden and enrolled her in their pilot Ultra Poor Graduation (UPG) model, a comprehensive program designed to help the poorest households build sustainable livelihoods.
Through this programme, Elizabeth is receiving training in financial literacy and support to start beekeeping and goat rearing, environmentally friendly income-generating activities that match her skills and interests.
Most importantly, CMMB Kenya facilitated the children’s journey to specialized care. On January 19, 2026, Elizabeth and her four children travelled to Kwale Eye Centre, which offers sponsored eyecare to the most vulnerable and children who require surgery, supported by the Fred Hollows Foundation.
There, the diagnosis was confirmed: congenital cataracts, a condition present from birth that blocks light from reaching the retina, preventing proper vision development. Cataract surgeon Dr. Lillian Kwamboka Nyaboga explained that removing the blockage as early as possible gives the brain the best chance to develop clear vision.
Dr Abdirazak Prepping Faith Minoo, 8 years, for cataract surgery
The Moment Everything Changed
The following day, the bandages were gently removed.
One by one, the children opened their eyes and saw the world for the first time in years.
Elizabeth watched in quiet disbelief as her children began noticing colours, faces, and objects around them. Their excitement filled the room. For the first time in over a decade, light returned to their lives.
“I was incredibly happy. My stress started fading. I felt like I was finally in the light,” Elizabeth said softly.
The surgeons noted that the younger children have an excellent chance of regaining strong vision, while the eldest, Mutinda, is expected to experience significant functional improvement despite years without sight.
Martin being assessed after surgery
A New Beginning
Today, Elizabeth’s children are beginning to do things they could never do before: dressing themselves, moving independently, and exploring their surroundings with wonder. The heavy dependence that once defined their relationship is gradually lifting.
“Now that they can see, I will be able to do my household duties and even take up casual jobs,” Elizabeth shares with renewed energy. “They will also be able to go back to school.”
Her dreams are simple yet profound: for her children to learn, grow, and build independent lives filled with possibility.
From years of darkness and despair, Elizabeth Masua’s family has stepped into the light – not just through restored sight, but through restored hope, dignity, and a future they can finally see clearly.
Elizabeth Masua with her four children a day after surgery.