By Lennah Makena | Communications Officer
When sixteen-year-old Aimee arrived at RefuSHE's safe house, she carried only the clothes on her back and a heart heavy with unimaginable loss. At fourteen, her village in Congo had been attacked by rebel forces, separating her from her parents and six younger siblings. The dangerous journey to safety had left deep wounds, and by the time she reached Nairobi as a refugee, she was pregnant and facing rejection from her host family.
"Before I got the referral, I had thought so much about committing suicide. I did not see a way out, and I felt alone," Aimee recalls of those dark days. A compassionate neighbor's referral to HIAS ultimately connected her to RefuSHE, where she found sanctuary at five months pregnant.
One year later, the transformation is remarkable. Through RefuSHE's comprehensive support system, Aimee has rebuilt her life piece by piece. The safe house provided immediate stability—a community that embraces her as family. "We live like a family here. Even when I'm feeling stressed, the other girls notice and come to speak to me, and everything goes away," she shares with a smile.
The program's holistic approach has been instrumental in Aimee's healing. Individual counseling sessions have equipped her with tools to process her trauma, while practical parenting support has helped her navigate young motherhood with confidence. She's learned essential childcare skills and found joy in small victories, like knitting colorful hats and socks for her baby.
Education, interrupted when she was in fourth grade, has resumed through English and Kiswahili classes. Looking ahead, Aimee has set her sights on RefuSHE's nail art and beauty program. "I hope to learn how to braid hair and do pedicures so one day I can have a salon," she says, her eyes bright with possibility.
From a young woman who once saw no way forward, Aimee has become a mother with dreams and the skills to achieve them. Her story illustrates how comprehensive support—combining safety, counseling, education, and community—can transform despair into hope
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