I will never forget what that man did to me | I have been living in pain ever since

Melioth Wanja was born and raised in the ghetto. Now 26 years old, she is a mother of three. She attended a school supported by kind-hearted Samaritans who helped children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her parents separated when she was young, and her mother moved with the children to Nairobi. Growing up was incredibly difficult. Her mother brewed and drank chang’aa, a local illicit liquor, to survive. After completing Class 8, Melioth had to care for her mother, who had fallen ill. This responsibility made it hard for her to focus on her education. One day, she was bullied by a teacher at school, which led her to drop out. Tragically, her mother’s illness worsened, and she eventually passed away. Melioth was devastated—her mother had been her only source of support. Before her mother’s death, Melioth had been in a relationship with a 26-year-old man while she was still in Class 7. He would bring groceries to their home, but later, Melioth discovered that her mother had been exploiting her by offering her to him. After the burial, Melioth was left to fend for herself. At just 15 years old, she began selling her body to survive. One day, she met a man who seemed to sympathize with her and promised to take her off the streets. Unbeknownst to her, he was a criminal. They moved in together and began living as a couple. Eventually, Melioth became pregnant. One day, while at an M-Pesa agent to withdraw money, she saw him holding a gun, preparing to commit a robbery. That incident ended tragically—he was killed during the mission. After losing him, Melioth returned to the streets full-time. Even while pregnant, she continued to engage with men in exchange for money. In her story, she recounts a harrowing experience with a client who assaulted her so severely that she had to be hospitalized and undergo medical treatment.