[4] She lived in Nyang'oma Kogelo village, 48 km (30 miles) west of western Kenya's main city, Kisumu, on the edge of Lake Victoria.

"[11] At one point in her life, she worked as a cook for Christian missionaries,[2] but Sarah Obama was "a strong believer of the Islamic faith", in her words.

[3][9] On the occasion of the inaugural Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (November 19, 2014) at the United Nations, Sarah Obama received the Pioneer Award in Education honoring the work of her foundation.

[14][2] Upon her acceptance of the award, she explained, "Our vision is a world where children are nurtured and supported physically, educationally, and emotionally to thrive and succeed in life.

"[15] On March 29, 2021 it was announced that Mama Sarah had died at the age of 99,[16] in a hospital in Kisumu, Western Kenya, having suffered with an undisclosed illness a few days earlier.