"I almost had a miscarriage because of my partner's abuse" ..... (Part 1)

Vivian knelt on the roadside in Kwa Murogi estate, writhing in pain as she vomited uncontrollably. Her stomach felt as though it was being torn apart, and her body was drenched in cold sweat.

Her two-year-old daughter, strapped to her back, wailed in distress. Red streaks of blood in the vomit hinted at something far worse happening within her.

Summoning what little strength she had, Vivian removed her daughter from her back and laid her down on the cold, dusty ground beside her. The child’s cries pierced the quiet night, but Vivian couldn’t console her.

The pain was unbearable, and Vivian felt like her life was slipping away. Desperate and overwhelmed, she glanced at her daughter one last time before collapsing.

Minutes later, she regained consciousness. Her daughter had stopped crying and was now gazing at the night sky, giggling softly. In that fragile moment, Vivian made a decision: enough was enough. She would fight to reclaim her life and provide a better future for her children.

A Troubled Start

Vivian’s hardships began 17 years ago in Free Area, Nakuru. She was a bright Class Seven student with big dreams, but her education was cut short when her parents couldn’t afford the Sh60 fee required for her end-of-year exams.

“I always looked forward to excelling in school, but it wasn’t meant to be. My stepdad, the breadwinner, and I were close, but my mother didn’t approve of our bond. When it came time to pay the exam fee, she refused,” Vivian recalls.

With no hope of continuing her education, Vivian dropped out. At just 15 years old, she began spending time with a group of older youths in her neighborhood. Strained family relations and constant disdain from her mother made life at home unbearable. Eventually, she moved in with one of the men she spent time with.

At 16, Vivian gave birth to her first child. However, her young marriage quickly soured. “My boyfriend didn’t care for me or our child. We often went hungry because I had no way to provide for us,” she says.

Unable to bear the neglect, Vivian returned to her mother’s house. But her mother insisted she find a job if she wanted to stay. Feeling lost, Vivian accepted her mother’s introduction to a neighbor, who promised to help her earn money.

“We left late at night and went to a place called Threeways. It wasn’t until she told me to go to a room with a man that I realized what I had been brought to do,” Vivian says. For three months, she worked as a prostitute to support her child, enduring shame and trauma.

One harrowing night, she was taken to Eldoret by two truck drivers, who later dropped her back in Nakuru. “I felt disgusted with myself and decided to leave that life,” she says.

Vivian fled to Nairobi to live with her grandmother, turning to alcohol to numb her pain. After weeks in the city, she returned to Nakuru, took her son, and went back to her boyfriend. Their reconciliation led to the birth of a second child, and Vivian embraced Christianity, hoping for a fresh start.

Life seemed to improve, and a third child was on the way. However, her newfound stability crumbled one evening when she discovered her boyfriend was romantically involved with a close friend.

“When I confronted him, he denied responsibility for my pregnancy. It broke me,” she says. Despite the betrayal, Vivian gave birth in January 2015. Overwhelmed, she fell deeper into alcoholism, becoming a regular at illicit brew dens in Kwa Murogi, Free Area, and Madaraka.

A Cycle of Abuse

When her boyfriend married another woman, Vivian was left homeless. She moved in with a drinking buddy, and they lived together for three years. In 2020, she became pregnant again.

During her pregnancy, her partner’s abuse escalated. “He beat me so badly that I almost miscarried,” she recalls. She gave birth successfully, but the violence forced her and her newborn onto the streets.

For six months, Vivian and her baby lived in dire conditions. One day, she met a medic who directed her to the Young African Women Initiative (YAWI) in Naka estate, where food was being distributed.

A Ray of Hope

“I went to YAWI for food. While there, I met a woman who listened to my story. She told me to return when I was ready to seek help,” Vivian says.

The turning point came after her near-death experience by the roadside. Determined to change her life, Vivian picked up her child and walked from Kwa Murogi to the YAWI offices in Naka.

Now, Vivian is focused on rebuilding her life. She remains resolute in her commitment to create a better future for her children, leaving behind the pain and hardships that defined her past.

Her journey is a testament to resilience and the human spirit’s capacity to endure, even in the face of unimaginable challenges.