By Amanda James<\/p>\n
When Mahmoud Hussein’s wallet was stolen by a pickpocket, he knew he needed to get a new ID card immediately.<\/p>\n
In Kenya, a person needs an ID card to vote, enroll in school, get a job, obtain a driver’s license, file a police report and, in some cases, to enter a law office or courtroom.<\/p>\n
But faced with hurdles including multiple vetting processes by committees of elders and security personnel who demanded to see more paperwork than he could provide, he didn’t get a new one for 29 years.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, he had to rely on his wife’s income and struggled to make ends meet, according to a spokesperson for Namati, a nonprofit organization that helped Hussein obtain an ID.<\/p>\n
Hussein was among the 1 billion people across the globe who face challenges in proving who they are because they lack official proof of their identity.<\/p>\n