Mama Obama

2:55

Sarah Obama, Barack Obamas grandmother

Photo/edit: Fredrik Sperling

SCRIPT:

Even if the roads are horrible it's not difficult to find her. At every junction, we ask for "Mama Obama", and after an hour we're there. We find her at the back of her simple house. Grandma, Sarah Obama, 87 years old.

" My life is good, god has blessed me, I have good health. I do agricultural work, and am happy with my life, the life that god has given me."

Barack Obamas parents went separate ways when he was 2 years old. But he kept in contact with his Kenyan father, and grandma closely followed his school years through school reports sent to her. She visited Barack in the US when he became senator. 1982 his father died in a car accident. He's buried here, outside the house. Five years later, 26 years old, Barack Obama came here for the first time to visit his Grandma.

"He was very happy to come back to his roots, and I remember that once he was carrying vegetables from the market, and people asked me: Sarah have you gotten a new grandson? We turned around and people took photos of that. Definitely it was a very happy occasion for him coming back to meet his family, as it was for me to meet my grandson."

On every wall hangs a piece of Sarah's life. On some of the photos Barack junior. She's proud of her grandson and what has become of him. She remembers his latest visit one and a half year ago.

"When he came the place was crowded, there were a lot of people. He came and held my hand, walked with me up to inside the house,then went and visited the grave of his father, and then said to the whole world: I've come to visit my grandmother."

Barack Obamas success is a source of pride for the whole community here. Sarah closely follows US politics and the nomination battles. During the Iowa caucus she sat up all night, and listened as her grandsons victory was declared.

"I can say, that in my heart I was very happy. But it's like a football match, and he scored the first goal. Now we are just waiting for the others."

Even if Barack's success makes her happy, the biggest joy is to have found a lost grandson again. For Grandma Obama, Baracks visits to her are a way of reuniting with her beloved son Barack Obama Sr.

"I felt very happy, very loved. And for a moment, when we hugged each other and came here (to the house), I felt exactly that kind of love that Baracks father had felt for me."