Mama Jimmy opens up about primary school struggles
By Steve Ireri, August 12, 2026USA-based Kenyan content creator Mama Jimmy has opened up about the humble and difficult life she experienced during her primary school years, taking her followers down memory lane as she reflected on how far she believes God has brought her.
Speaking in a TikTok video on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, Mama Jimmy recalled how she would carry githeri to school as her lunch, describing a childhood in which even preparing a simple meal was an experience that required patience and sacrifice.
She said her memories were triggered while preparing beans, which reminded her of the days when her family would spend a long time waiting for beans and githeri to cook before she could take the meal to school.
“I have remembered this because today I have cooked beans and, as you can see, Baba Jimmy is also there waiting for me. I remember we went through a very hard life growing up. You see, we would have to wait for the beans in githeri to be well cooked so you could carry it to school as lunch,” she said.
According to Mama Jimmy, the entire family would remain in the kitchen waiting for the food to be ready because leaving before the meal was cooked could mean missing the opportunity to carry lunch to school the following day.
She recalled how the githeri would sometimes become part of her journey to school, with some of it spilling as she ran along the way, leaving her with very little food by the time she arrived at school.
“And on the way to school, you would run and the githeri would spill, and when you arrived at school, the food remaining would be very little,” she added.
Mama Jimmy also remembered that her former schoolmates would often see her carrying beans as lunch, making the meal a familiar part of her primary school experience.
She further recalled how the family would eat together without necessarily washing their hands first, painting a picture of a childhood defined by simplicity and limited comforts.
“And I remember that because it takes long for the githeri and beans to be ready, we would all wait in the kitchen because if you did not wait for it with the rest, they would say you would not carry it as lunch the following day to school. We would wait, all of us,” she revealed.
For Mama Jimmy, however, those memories are no longer only about hardship.
She appreciated that they have become a reminder of the distance she has travelled and the changes that have taken place in her life.
She expressed gratitude to God, saying the struggles of her childhood had given way to a life that she now looks back on with a deep sense of appreciation.
“And those who I schooled with know and can remember that I used to carry beans as my lunch to school a lot. And we were eating, and we never used to wash our hands. We would just eat. Truly, God lifts people,” she shared.