As a child, I suffered from living in poverty, worsened by cultural beliefs and a Very violent traditional father who made me question my existence. Throughout my teens and in my early twenties, as a result of trauma, my mental health and well-being were left in near darkness, which would greatly influence my view of the world.
I left high school with solid grades, but sadly they were overshadowed by my growing struggles of shame and guilt. At 17 years, I dreamt of going to college, but being a woman in the society where I lived then had other expectations. It was expected of me to do menial jobs to earn a living. Hence, I left for the city of lights — Nairobi, in search of education. Instead, I was raped on the first night in the town. Soon after, I realized I was pregnant. My society accused me of promiscuity.
I washed people’s laundry, cleaned houses, fetched water at roadside car washes to feed my child. Somehow after four years of hard work, I saved $15 and enrolled at the Kenya Polytechnic School. With the help of my mother, a tea farmer in the village, and well-wishers, I defined all odds and emerged top of my class with Distinction in Counseling Psychology.
I was forced to look deep within myself, and this is when my life began to change. I started to accept that I needed help sharing my trauma and becoming a loving mother to my son. I began dreaming of supporting survivors of sexual violence and helping them see the beauty in their brokenness. I now dream of a better future, a better world of empowered girls, where we can change narratives around us from vulnerable to powerful agents of change!
I am on a mission to heal and protect hearts. I share my life with girls and women who are hurting as I did. I welcome them into my world and assure them that they are not alone and can be victorious again even though they face challenges.
Today, I have empowered over 2000 kids and women in Africa with skills(self-defense) to own up their voice and protect themselves from violence.
My goal is to equip 5000 girls to pursue their educational dreams, make a transformative impact in their global community, and empower the whole community to strengthen favorable social norms, attitudes, and behaviors to prevent violence and uptake essential justice measures for survivors.
