A 32-year-old mother of five from Huruma, Nairobi, has shared a deeply distressing account of her life marked by abuse, poverty, and survival struggles that eventually pushed her into street life.
She recounted that her childhood was difficult after her mother brought a new partner into the home, who allegedly subjected her to repeated sexual abuse while she was still in primary school.
She said fear and threats kept her silent, and she had no safe person to report the ordeal to during that period.
According to her, the experience left deep emotional scars and led to long-term mistrust of men, which has influenced her relationships.
She added that when her mother moved to Nairobi seeking work, life became even harder, forcing her to leave school and take up casual jobs.
She later worked in informal alcohol outlets, where she says she faced exploitation and mistreatment from different men.
Carol also revealed that she was once drugged and assaulted by people she knew, but chose silence due to fear and stigma.
She moved through unstable living conditions, including staying with relatives who treated her harshly and offered little support.
She also described abusive relationships, including one where she was confined indoors and physically assaulted until the relationship ended after the partner died.
Facing rising financial pressure as a mother, she eventually turned to street-based survival work to provide food, shelter, and schooling for her children.
Despite everything, she expressed hope of rebuilding her life by starting a small beauty business that would help her leave the streets.
Her story highlights the wider struggles faced by vulnerable women in informal settlements, where abuse, poverty, and lack of protection often intersect.
She now hopes to find stability, support her children, and break the cycle of hardship that has defined much of her life, while calling attention to the need for stronger social protection systems and community awareness to prevent similar experiences among other young girls in similar environments across vulnerable urban communities in Kenya today.
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