An audience with mama president

The woman before me is 90 years of age and lives in the village of Kogelo in western Kenya. She does not know me and says she has only vaguely heard of Manchester but does not know in which country it is.

'How did you feel when your grandson won the election?'

Through an interpreter, Mama Sarah says that of course she is proud but she hopes that her son will do well by the people who voted for him.

'On that day you must have been the proudest grandmother in Africa.'

'Of course. Many people were proud of his achievement.'

'How have the people in the village treated you since your grandson became so famous?'

'The same. I am still Mama Sarah!'

'How often do you speak to him?'

'We are still in contact - but through an interpreter, or by written communications.'

Mama Sarah accepts my gifts of flour, sugar and cooking oil. She reciprocates with a carrier bag full of mangoes taken from her tree, on which I gorge later.

'Did you ever think that a grandson of yours, a Luo from Kenya, would ever be President of the United States?'

I get a hint of a smile - pride laced with incredulity.

'Barack Obama is not my only grandson!'