Background Info
Jacob Otolo was born in 2012. He was born in the Rhonda slums, Nakuru County. He is the last born of Topista Bahati. Topista has two children. Her firstborn is a girl. Topista grew up in the western part of Kenya. Her family was so poor because they did not have any land. Families in rural homes depend on agriculture for their daily meals. Topista’s family could not farm their own food. They depended on farming for other families in exchange for some food. Topista had to drop out of school during her primary education. Due to this, she is unable to get any work. She got pregnant with her daughter at 17 years. The boy responsible did not wish to marry Topista.
When the child was just two years, Topista decided to look for better-paying jobs. She moved from her village to stay with a relative in Nakuru. She moved to Nakuru with the hope of landing some work. She could only work as a cleaner and earn a meagre salary. She decided to rent a small house in the Rhonda slums. She met Jacob’s father, who had rented a small mud house. He did not seem to be interested in a long-term relationship. When he heard that Topista was pregnant, he immediately abandoned her. Topista had a hard time with the pregnancy. Topista could not leave to go and do casual jobs. She would spend a whole day hungry with her elder daughter. Due to a lack of money, Topista gave birth to Jacob in her small mud house. She depended on well-wishers for food. When Jacob was some months old, Topista had to look for some money. She started selling groceries. The business failed because she had small capital. She was also fully dependent on this business. Without support, she would take some groceries to cook for the children. The business failed. She tried other small businesses, but all faced the same fate. Currently, Jacob and his sister live together with their mother in the slums of Kwa Rhonda, Nakuru West sub-county. Topista works as a house help. What she earns is a small portion of what she needs at home. She cannot afford the simple basic needs. Jacob Otolo was admitted to Prince of Peace School in 2019 after a fieldwork assessment at their home. He is hardworking and smart.
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