Educating street children in the Mathare slums

(C2) BRIEF CASE HISTORY

According to Irene, she was born in the year 2005.

In Kisumu county in the country Kenya.

She is the second born in a family of eight children. Other than that, she is also from a polygamous family where her mother is the second wife. From her own biological mother, she is the second born among four children, two girls two boys. Her father died in the year 2018 and she was only left with her mother and the step mother as well.

Upon the death of her father, things took a totally new turn, she stated that, her father was the sole provider of the family needs, the mother could not do any nature of work or even business since she was epileptic and had been involved in several serious fire accidents during her efforts to do small income generating activities like cooking mandazi (Doughnuts), frying fish and chips along the slum roads for sales.

She further recorded that her mother’s medical situation has always made them live only under the mercies of her step mother. She mentioned that the fact that they could fully depend on the step mother for almost everything, at times she could not afford to get her basic needs as a girl including food, sanitary towels, medical care among others. This further forced her to get into a sexual relationship with an older boyfriend who could occasionally provide her with pants, sanitary towels and even clothes. Irene mentioned that this kind of provisions from the man, made her built more trust and closeness with him, that later on resulted to her becoming pregnant. The first person she informed of her pregnancy was the boyfriend who actually disowned her and went missing to date. The step mother also chased her out of her house and at the same time, the biological mother was hospitalized after getting seriously burnt by fire when cooking. Irene mentioned that the only option she had was to commit suicide, she further explained that she could find this being easy as the step mother could always make so many sisal ropes for sale and they were available for her for the suicidal act.

At her first attempt to commit suicide, he was rescued by a neighbor and it was at that point that the step mother asked her step sister to have her in Nairobi.

The sister immediately brought her to Nairobi after she gave birth. She also had experienced a lot of stigma from her classmates at school and as a result she had to drop out of school.

In Nairobi, her step sister who is a widow and lost her first born two years ago, is still the bread winner for the family in Nairobi and back at the rural home.

She says that she regained a fresh energy and hope in life when she took her child to Baraka Health center, the nurse there was very kind to her, advised her on what to do even after getting to know that the child had clubbed foot. The child was enrolled for physiotherapy once a week. At the same time, she was introduced to Linda Binti program, where her and other girls have received more psychosocial support and further sponsored her among others to MCFpanairobi for cosmetology training.

Irene’s greatest desire is to successfully finish her six months’ cosmetology training, get a job and lead a better life with her child and support her two mothers as well.

Once she completes her 6months vocational training, Irene also intends to enroll for a business management course locally. This will allow her to expand her knowledge and also prepare her for the job market. MCFpanairobi is funding her cosmetology training but NOT the business course. Her appeal is for well wishers to assist her to fulfil her dreams.

With only 160 Euros, Irene will be able to study and complete her course. MCFpanairobi will then assist her get a job and then take care of her baby, her ailing mother and support her six siblings where possible. Your contribution will go along way in making a big impact to this needy family.

Asante!