Shine A Light on Child Abuse in Kenya

Belinda’s case  (Not her real name)

11 year old Belinda* has been living in Nairobi with her single mother and her 2 younger siblings. Her case was reported to the Child Helpline 116 by her teacher who noticed that over a period of time, Belinda* had been coming to school with a lot of fresh injuries and marks on her body. Upon enquiry, he found out that her mother had been physically abusing her using a rolling pin, electric wires and at times she bites her mostly over small mistakes. Efforts by the school to reach the mother were unsuccessful, prompting the school to report the case to the Helpline 116. On the day the case was reported, Belinda* had been burnt with a hot iron box on the face by the mother just because she had not bought an exercise book as she had been instructed to.   

The Helpline contacted the area Children’s Officer who visited the school. Through your generous donations, Belinda* was rescued and taken to hospital for medical attention. She is currently safe at a safe shelter for children, where she is receiving ongoing medical care and regular counseling to aid in her healing process following the traumatic experiences.  Her mother was arrested and is in custody awaiting trial. Belinda’s*siblings, who were fortunate to have escaped similar abuse, are currently under the care of their maternal aunt. The Helpline team is planning to offer continued counseling to them as soon as they settle in their new home so that they understand the need for the separation without breeding hatred towards their mother.