Thirty-nine-year-old Wellington Juma found himself answering a phone call that changed his life for the better. After a night shift at Chulaimbo Health Center, all Wellington wanted to do was rest. Normally, he would have ignored a call at that time as he would have been asleep or doing some meditation, but as fate would have it, Wellington picked the call from Safaricom, the call that made him a millionaire.
Known by his community for his calmness and kind nature, Wellington says the call felt unrealistic. “My phone rang as I had just come in from my night shift at the hospital. At first, I thought it was fraud or that someone was trying to prank me, but when I received the confirmation message, I started to believe it,” he jokingly says. However, still doubtful, Welligton made his way to the Safaricom shop in Kisumu where it was truly confirmed that he had indeed won Shs1,000,000 through Safaricom’s Shangwe @ 25 promotion.
For Wellington, this win comes at a time when he needed it most. Like the hard worker he is, he balances his funds between supporting his growing family, building them a decent home and running his small private clinic. He has had to pause projects at times and sacrifice his passions in order to maintain a good financial balance for other aspects of his life. “Now I can finally complete my house,” says Welligton, cracking a soft smile on his face. “I will also get more equipment for my clinic, so I can serve my community better,” he adds, speaking to his kindness and passion for healthcare.
With the additional Shs250,000 community project fund, Wellington plans to support Kamiruga Widows’ Group in Ahero. “These ladies hire out tents for functions, I’d like to support them with capital to expand their enterprise,” he joyfully shares. For a man who spends his nights saving lives, the gift of giving back to his community is the greatest achievement. Having grown up in a tight-knit community in Ahero, Kisumu, Wellington has witnessed first-hand how the women in his life have held families together and how their resilience and determination have made lives better. That is why he is determined to support them and ensure they get a stable source of income.
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Wellington’s story is exactly what the Shangwe @ 25 promotion is celebrating: the everyday heroes who make Kenya better in big and small ways. From health workers and farmers to teachers and entrepreneurs, the promotion shines a spotlight on everyday people whose lives reflect courage, dedication, and community spirit.
Since its launch, the Shangwe @25 National Consumer Promotion has continued to reward thousands of customers daily and weekly with cash prizes, data bundles, devices, and business support tools. Every week, customers cash prizes from Shs10,000, to Shs100,000, contributing to more than 50,000 winners weekly. Over the course of the promotion, more than 5 million customers are expected to win prizes worth KES250 million.
The Shangwe @25 promotion is still ongoing. Customers can participate simply by transacting on M-PESA, sending money, paying with M-PESA, redeeming Bonga Points, or purchasing any Safaricom products such as data bundles, voice bundles, digital services, or Home Fibre. Merchants and M-PESA agents also qualify through Buy Goods, Pochi la Biashara, and transactions from Kes 1,000 and above.
