I grew up in Kisii, in the western part of Kenya. Life there is good but there are too many people and not enough resources; you can get plenty of food but there is not much work so it is difficult to pay for school fees and other expenses. I moved to Kibera when I was in my mid-twenties.
I come from a family of four daughters. My father was never really in the picture, but I never felt the absence of a father-figure in the house; Mama has been such a role model in that sense. She would say “whatever you want to do, you can do it”. Whenever we would complain about not having a brother to help us fix household things, she would push us to learn how to do it ourselves.
I was born in Kibera and I grew up in Kibera; growing up here was both a privilege and a struggle. Life is difficult in Kibera and we live in poverty here, but this place makes a woman strong and I believe that I am strong today because I grew up in Kibera.
Growing up in Kibera is challenging, especially as a young boy. 99% of the guys I grew up with are dead – mainly because of crime. A lot of young men do drugs, or get involved in the world of drugs. And basically, once you get involved with drugs you have very little choice but to venture into crime. Nevertheless, it is still a choice.
I came to Mathare when I was six. I remember very clearly that during those times, there was no mistrust between the different communities. I would play with all my neighbours whether they were Kikuyu, Luo, or Borana. They were like my siblings, and their parents were like my parents. But this comradery and positive community spirit started to change during my early teens.
I was born in Kisii in south-western Kenya, but I grew up in Mukuru, one of the biggest slums in Nairobi. I am an only child and my mother passed away before I reached the age of 10.
I grew up in Mabatini ward in Mathare, an informal settlement in Nairobi. At home I experienced domestic violence; my dad beat my mum all the time. In this ward, women are not always recognised by men. Women could not even stand for a small position in the community because men believed that women should stay in the kitchen, not stand for a position in our community.
In mid-May, PBI Kenya, in association with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), held a Training Course on Human Rights Documenting, Reporting and Advocacy Skills for the Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRD) Toolkit Organisers and other women human rights defenders that PBI works with.
Growing up in Kibera was a challenge. My parents were not well off and my father had an alcohol problem and beat my mother a lot. Because of these experiences, I decided I did not want to raise my own child in the same way and I have been trying my best to raise my girl in a good way.
Kenyan human rights defenders (HRDs) face numerous challenges and threats, particularly if they work in urban settlements and rural areas, or if they work on sensitive topics such as land rights, corruption and violations by the police.