She sits quietly on a rock in the middle of the compound, watching the sun sink into the horizon. The day is almost over, but her thoughts are alive with the memories of her journey, from the challenges she has faced to the hope she still holds close to her heart. Earlier today, she attended a Linda Mtoto peer session, where participants reflected on what the project has achieved and what the future may hold as it transitions. For Lily*, this reflection is deeply personal.
“I live in Bangladesh,” she begins. “I joined the Linda Mtoto project when I was in class seven. Our Community Health Promoter came to school one day, called us out of class, and told us about an ICRHK meeting. Because she was a respected woman from our neighborhood, my mother allowed me to go, and that’s how my journey with ICRHK started.”
Linda Mtoto, a project under International Centre for Reproductive Health- Kenya (ICRHK), works to protect children from abuse, neglect, and exploitation while ensuring that they remain in school and thrive.
Lily’s path to education was not smooth. In 2021, she sat for KCPE and scored 286 marks. But her father refused to take her to secondary school. He insisted she should go upcountry to live with her stepmother, and when she resisted, he withdrew all support. “It was like, if I wanted to study, then I had to go to the village,” she recalls. “I ended up staying home for nine months.”
The stigma of being out of school weighed heavily. In her community, children who are not in school are often looked down upon, and families are judged harshly. At one point, the police arrested children who were out of school, and Lily* was taken to the police station. She was later given a calling letter to a certain school within the neighborhood, but, again, without fees, her future looked uncertain. Still, she encouraged her mother not to lose hope.
During one Linda Mtoto meeting, she gathered the courage to speak directly to the project officer. She asked if they could help her pay school fees. Her plea was heard. In February 2022, she received a cheque from Linda Mtoto, which allowed her to go back to school and pay her fee.
Her mother, who sells food near a godown, could barely manage rent, let alone school fees. “My father didn’t believe I had gone back to school. He thought without his money, I could not study,” Lily* says. “My parents are separated, so I depended only on my mother.”
What stands out in Lily’s story is her resilience. “I thank God because I managed to return to school when many of my peers didn’t,” she says. “Some gave in to peer pressure, got married, or even had children. But I was able to go back.”
Through Linda Mtoto, Lily found not only education but also dignity. “Before, I was seen as someone who couldn’t make it, as if our family was nothing. The biggest gift a parent can give a child is education. Since my father denied me that gift, he even feels ashamed to acknowledge me as his child. But ICRHK, through Linda Mtoto gave me back my self-esteem. Today, I can stand in front of people, and they listen.”
For her, the project has been life-changing. “Linda Mtoto project took me out of the house and brought me back to school.”
As the sun disappears completely, Lily’s gaze lingers on the horizon. Despite the uncertainty, she clings to hope, the very thing that has carried her this far.
