According to an Out-of-School Children Initiative study conducted in Kenya in 2021, nearly 1.13 million primary school-aged children (6 to 13 years old) are not attending school. The situation has deteriorated as a result of the impact of COVID-19-related school closures, which was followed by difficult economic times.
- More than one in five respondents (21%) said pregnancy is causing girls to drop out of school
- More than one in seven (16%) cited girls dropping out due to early marriage
These statistics paints a sad picture for the millions of young mothers in Kenya who end up in hopeless situations in life. A good example is a story of this girl living in Nakuru, Kenya.
Her name is Susan Wanjiru Wanja from Engashura, Kabatini Ward. This a small town in the outskirts of Nakuru City that has little economic activity going on expect small-scale farming. She is raised by her single mother, Ann Wanja Mburu, and lives with her two siblings: 15-year-old sister Esther Wambui Wanja and Patience Wanjiru who’s suffering from a disability called cerebral palsy
After scoring 262 marks in her Primary Education, Susan got an admission to enroll at St. Antony Engoshura Secondary School. Her mother at that time had no sustainable job or savings to facilitate her admission, and they even had to borrow school uniforms from an alumnus of the school. Susan’s mother managed to pay only 10$ for admission fees.
Susan finally joined the school but the new chapter came with challenges. Her mother was unable to pay school fees and their effort to fundraise from relatives, church and local donations didn’t bear any fruits. Often, she was being sent home due to lack of school fees. This made her even more frustrated and hopeless considering her sister, Esther Wambui Wanja, is also facing the same challenges.
It’s during that period that Susan made a bad decision in her life that she truly regret and has learned from to this day. In 2021, she got pregnant at 18 years in Form 2 with her boyfriend who is working as a “Boda Boda” rider. She gave into the man with a promise of better life. But since Susan had no idea how to have safe sexual encounters, she became pregnant and dropped out of school to give birth to a baby boy, (Victor Caleb Wanjira) who’s now 8 months old.
As the first-born child, Susan Wanjira understands the burden on her mother’s shoulders and now that she is a young mother, her dream to finish education and become a doctor to help the sick and make a difference in the lives of others seem like an impossible quest. She wishes things could be different, not just for her but also for her sister who has also dropped out of school at form 2.
Susan, however, is determined to complete her education. And she is pleading for well-wishers to help her go back to school so she can graduate, get a job and support her child. Currently, she is looking to raise about $300 to cater for the 2 years remaining (Form 3 & 4), plus $35 for school fees balance.
Susan has learnt some painful lessons. She has expressed her regrets of getting pregnant, not listening to her parent’s advice and the consequences of being ignorant. Despite all, Susan Wanjira Wanja really want to achieve her educational goal.
Esther Wambui Wanja (Second Born, 15 Year’s Old, Form-Two Drop Out Due to School Fees)
Her sister, Esther Wambui Wanja, was lucky to get a sponsor who bought her school uniform and paid half of the first term fees $23. But the support was not sustainable and so she often sent home due to lack of school fees. Like her sister Susan, Esther is becoming more frustrated and fears that she won’t be able to catch up with the other students.
Esther’s desire to go back to school is stronger, and her resilience to overcome challenges thrown at her is promising. Once she is sent home from school, she engages herself in manual jobs like house help where she earns as little as $2.5/day. At times she could be lucky to get jobs twice a week, but still this was not enough pay for her school fees.
This is threatening her dreams of becoming a lawyer and ensure people receive justice. She is particularly interested in providing legal counsel to victims of land-grabbing. Currently, there is no support from relatives, church and local leaders and so she’s hoping a well-wisher will come to her aid.
Her total school fee is $120 per year, and to complete her secondary education she will need $240. Being a grade C student, it’s evident that with little support she can perform even better and get a chance to go to university.
Ann Wanja is a single mother of three. She parted ways with her husband when their children, Susan and Esther, were very young. Due to unemployment, she has been the breadwinner and a supportive pillar for this vulnerable family, but due to her only dependence on manual jobs such as farming, fruit vending, and washing clothes for people just to put food on the table.
The inconsistence of jobs and the small daily wages of less than $3, the effort is not enough to provide for basic needs, see her daughters through their secondary education and also manage her child’s condition. Sometimes they sleep hungry, and raising $8 for house rent is becoming a challenge.
Her daughters, Susan and Esther, are hoping that she will secure a sustainable income-generating activity that will at least meet their basic needs. Ann Wanja is also pleading for help and financial assistance in meeting the medical needs of her daughter, Patience Wanjiru, who’s living with a disability condition called Cerebral Palsy.
Because of the persistent cultural belief that girls who have given birth are adults with no place in a classroom, as many as nine out of ten Kenyan girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy never return.
This is a narrative that the Daraja 360 – a community-based organization, is hoping to change and give teenage mothers a second chance in life to make right decisions and become respected individuals in the society. We are seeking partnership with well-wishers to support this vulnerable family.