A Look At Barack Obamas Extended Family
Obama, the Democratic senator from Illinois, is the son of Barack Obama, Sr., a senior economist in the Kenyan government who died in a car accident in 1982. His father grew up in the rural village of Nyangoma Kogalo, which is in Western Kenya near the shores of Lake Victoria. He herded goats before winning a scholarship to study in the US. He is now buried in that same quiet village.
Obama's grandmother, uncle and a handful of cousins still live in and around Nyangoma Kogalo, living the same simple life they have for generations. They do not have a television, but still manage to closely monitor election progress and pray for his victory. His grandmother, affectionately referred to as "Mama Sarah," recently told a CNN reporter, "He's a good listener and if he's given a chance, he will work hard for America." When asked what she thought of Hillary Clinton, Mama Sarah replied with a diplomacy her grandson would be proud of, that the election is a contest and the best man or woman should win.
Another enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama's presidential campaign is his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng. After Obama's mother divorced Barack Obama Sr., she married Lolo Soetoro and had Maya in Indonesia. They moved to Honolulu where Obama was born
Although they are 9 years apart, the siblings remain close. Maya credits Obama with helping her make good decisions and focusing on her strengths after her father died in 1987 - but she also credits their mother, Ann Dunham, with instilling in Obama a love of public service and community organization. "She was an immense woman, " Maya said of their mother. "She embraced everybody. There was so much good in her that there wasn't any room for smallness or meanness or violence."
Today, Maya is a teacher and professor in Honolulu. She and her husband, Konrad Ng, have a 2-year-old daughter, Suhaila.