He subjected my body to disturbing acts, and I began to develop a deep fear of men

Mercy Awuor Auma’s Story Mercy Awuor Auma was born and raised in Mathare, one of Nairobi’s informal settlements. She grew up under difficult circumstances, raised by a single mother who sold chang’aa (a local illicit brew) to provide for the family. While in Class 7, Mercy became pregnant. At the time, she had a boyfriend. When her mother discovered the pregnancy, she was furious and threw Mercy out of the house, telling her to go live with the man who had impregnated her. Despite their young age, Mercy’s boyfriend took her in. However, life in that relationship was extremely hard. He was addicted to drugs, failed to provide even basic necessities, and often physically abused her. When it was time to give birth, they couldn’t afford hospital fees. Local women in the community stepped in to help her deliver. After giving birth, Mercy’s friends took her back to her mother’s house. She had no knowledge of how to care for a newborn—not even how to breastfeed. Soon after, she became pregnant again, and this continued until she had four children. Eventually, she left the abusive marriage and returned to her mother’s home. Not long after, her mother fell ill and passed away, leaving Mercy alone to raise her four children. Desperate for work, she spoke to a neighbor who helped her get a job at a nightclub. She started as a waitress working night shifts and stayed there for about a year and a half. Unfortunately, she became pregnant again—this time by a client she had been involved with. In her own words, Mercy shares how she eventually turned to sex work full-time, meeting clients with varied demands. Today, she is a single mother, and despite everything, her children look up to her.