Abandoned by Family After Surviving Hell Abroad | Addicted abroad but am still standing

We welcome Julian Njeri Mwangi. Julian is a mother of two, born and raised in Dandora. After losing her father, she and her siblings were left in the care of their mother. Life took a difficult turn when Julian became pregnant while in Form Four. She gave birth just as she was preparing to sit for her KCSE exams. Faced with harsh conditions at home, Julian began working as a matatu tout. The job was grueling—not only physically but emotionally—as she endured harassment from drivers and conductors. Despite the challenges, she persevered, eventually saving enough to start a small business for her mother. Later, Julian met a man and they got married. But the relationship was marked by deep insecurity—he insisted on accompanying her everywhere. After two years, she made the difficult decision to leave the marriage, even though she was pregnant at the time. After staying with her mother for a while, Julian received an opportunity to work in Lebanon. She was placed in a household with a woman and her son. The son, who was addicted to drugs, eventually introduced Julian to hard substances. Under the influence, they engaged in reckless and harmful behavior. While all this was happening, the woman of the house was away for extended periods. One day, the son had a violent outburst after using cocaine—he destroyed property and became aggressive. When the woman returned, he was sent to rehab, leaving Julian emotionally adrift and struggling to cope. Without access to drugs, Julian began experiencing withdrawal symptoms and fainting spells. Eventually, she was told to pay for her own ticket and return to Kenya. Upon arrival, she was devastated to discover that the money she had been sending home had vanished. Her children were not in school, and no one could account for how the funds had been used. Determined to rebuild, Julian rented a single room and began life anew with her children. But the betrayal didn’t end there. While her sister went to work in Saudi Arabia, her mother falsely accused her of mistreating her sister’s children. As a result, her mother took children away, leaving her with nothing. In her desperation, Julian turned to sex work to provide for her children. She carries deep pain—not just from the hardships she endured abroad, but from the betrayal of those she trusted most. Despite sending money home while working in Lebanon, she returned to find herself penniless and abandoned.