Narosura: When you visit the homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Simpai in the Narosura area, Narok South Sub County, you can hardly guess the horrible life they lived two years ago. The wife, Linda Simpai, welcomed us with a warm smile and one could easily read an example of a happy couple.
According to Kenya News Agency, the couple's life took a dramatic turn after World Vision introduced a programme aimed at boosting the livelihoods of the locals in Narosura and Loita wards of Narok County two years ago. Mr. Simpai, once a daily drunkard, spent every shilling he earned on consuming cheap illicit alcohol. His addiction not only compromised his health and productivity but also posed a threat to his family as he frequently fought with his wife in front of their young children.
Mr. Simpai recalled, "I was a very violent person. Often, I would come home drunk and start fighting my wife and children over nothing. There are days my wife would be called to pick me up on the roadside. I had lost hope in life."
Linda Simpai reflected on the dark times when she was the sole breadwinner, struggling with casual work to afford food for her husband and two children. "I would be called by my neighbors to pick up my drunk husband beside the road. I endured this kind of life for five years," she remembered.
The turning point came when Mr. Simpai attended an Empowered World View (EWV) training organized by World Vision, where he was chosen as one of the champions in his home area. The program transformed his mindset, leading him to quit drinking and focus on building his family. Together with his wife, they devised an economic plan prioritizing poultry farming, maize farming, and cattle keeping.
Mr. Simpai realized the potential of his unutilized resources, learning through EWV that he had enough land and water to earn a decent living. "My wife and I planted maize on our one-acre piece of land, which produced four bags. Through the income, we started poultry farming in collaboration with my wife. I am very grateful to World Vision for bringing the EWV project to us," he said.
Currently, the couple owns 23 chickens and one cow, purchased from their maize farming returns. They have also built a permanent house after years of living in a grass-thatched mud house. Unlike before, when his children feared him, Mr. Simpai now shares a close bond with his family, enjoying outings and fun activities together.
Mr. Simpai stated, "EWV has taught me to appreciate my family. I take my family for outings where we go to play and relax as a family. This has revived my spirit, and I am completely a changed person." With improved diet and health, the family now enjoys a well-balanced diet every day.
Neighbors like Daniel Ole Kileteny have also noticed the family's transformation. He praised the EWV program for empowering Mr. Simpai to become a productive member of society, recalling the days when finding him lying beside the road or in ditches was common. Ole Kileteny called on World Vision to extend the program to more homes to empower families that have lost hope.
The World Vision project aims to transform household resilience in vulnerable environments.