Philanthropist and renowned social test content creator Apostle Dan Wema has come to the aid of a Kakamega woman who offered him cassava, her only remaining meal, after he approached her pretending to be a poor man in desperate need of something to eat.
This came after the woman, Sophie Naftutu, who was living in a dilapidated thatched house riddled with gaping holes after parts of it had collapsed, never turned him away when he presented himself as a beggar asking for just a few coins to be able to buy food.
Speaking exclusively to K24 Digital on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the apostle confirmed that he has since fulfilled the promise he made to her after their encounter—that he would build her a new house—and extended his gratitude to all Kenyans who were moved by her story and donated towards transforming her life.
“That mother is from Kakamega, and I met her while doing one of my social tests. Even though she had absolutely nothing, she still welcomed me and offered me a cassava meal, which was the only food she had. And now, with the help of well-wishers who sent money after seeing her story and the conditions she was living in, we’ve built her a house and even furnished it with a few items,” the apostle said.
Thatched house
According to videos shared earlier on the apostle’s Facebook page, the woman was living in deplorable conditions inside a mud-thatched house that had no proper door—only a makeshift one crafted from reeds.
Based on their conversation, the apostle had initially assumed the woman was repairing her home, only for her to explain that she was actually trying to open the doorway, as it was just a makeshift barrier that wobbled when moved.
“What are you doing, Grandma? Are you fixing your house? Is this really where you live?” the apostle asked.
“Yes, this is where I stay, and I’m just trying to open the door—not repairing it. Truly, I live here. This is my home—just trying to make do,” the woman replied.
She went on to share that her life had plunged into hardship after her husband passed away years ago and her only child, who might have helped, had disappeared and now lives somewhere in the nearby market centre.
“My husband died a long time ago. He’s no longer here. My child moved away and now stays somewhere in town, and he’s my only child. The wind is what brought down this door,” she shared in the video.
Following this, the apostle proceeded to conduct a social test on her, during which the woman explained that she had no money at all, except for some cassava, and kindly invited him to share the meal with her.
This touched the apostle deeply, and he immediately gave her Ksh4,000, telling her that she had passed his social test, which was designed to see if people have genuine compassion in their hearts, and further promised her that he would return to build her a home.
“I do a show where I test people to see if they truly have love and kindness in their hearts or not. And you, my dear, have passed my test—you’ve been a blessing to me. Let me give you this money; it’s yours,” the apostle said.
“Kneeling down and asking for food… Thank you so much, my child. I had nothing,” the woman responded.