When Nancy (not her real name) heard from the Community Health Volunteers that the Linda Mtoto project team would visit her in their home, she was so excited and eager to share her personal experience in the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Nancy’s case was identified by one of the CHVs engaged in Linda Mtoto’s project in Jomvu Sub-County. Upon case assessment and verification, it was discovered that Nancy was not only a victim of CSE under survival sex but had also been neglected by her parents. Nancy is a child aged 17 and lives with her siblings in Narcol, an informal settlement in Jomvu Sub-county. She is the firstborn in a family of four: two girls and two boys. Unfortunately, she is a victim of family disintegration after her parents separated in 2013. The children were left behind with their father. Their mother’s whereabouts remain unknown to date. Nancy and her siblings live in a rental house where they pay a monthly rent of KSH1000. The house is connected to electricity but has no access to water. They are therefore forced to fetch water for domestic use from outside at a cost.

Nancy’s father does not have any reliable source of income and is an absentee parent. Sometimes the children do not know where their father spends the night, which causes anxiety among the children. Nancy also admits that the family relatives are present but are neither concerned about their welfare nor provisions.

Nancy, overwhelmed by family responsibilities, started engaging in in order to fend for her siblings. Life got tough. “Why do I have to go through all this?” Nancy asks, while nodding her head.

Nancy narrates the ordeal of being the sole breadwinner in the family as a child. She says that she really hates selling her body but blames the circumstances forcing the family separation. She sometimes fails to raise the rental fee of 1000/=.  She is always pleading with the landlord, who is constantly threatening them with eviction. Nancy stated that she normally gets KSH150, which is too little to take care of their basic needs such as food, education, and clothing. Sometimes her clients force her to have sex without payment.

Nancy also recalls the numerous times that distant relatives (from her father’s side) would ask her for sex in exchange for a packet of maize flour.

Psychological support: 

The Linda Mtoto Project offers structured psychosocial support to all enrolled children in the program. Counselors meet with children for 6 sessions over a period of 6 weeks. Topics discussed during the sessions include awareness of the emerging trends, e.g., online CSEC, child protection, self-awareness, self-esteem, effects of CSEC; effective communication, positive parenting, sex and sexuality, psycho-education and visioning.

Nancy was linked to counselors and received individual therapy for 7 weeks. ‘I learned the effects of engaging in CSEC and anger management,” says Nancy.

Current situation:

Nancy presently engages in casual work, offering laundry services to individuals for a fee, and selling groundnuts to school-going children as a means to support her siblings. She has affirmed that she no longer engages in CSEC activities after completing counseling. Furthermore, during Nancy’s formative years, her aspiration was to become a teacher. However, following visioning therapy sessions with her counselor, she discovered her true passion for beauty and hairdressing. Thanks to the support of the Linda Mtoto project, Nancy has been enrolled as a part-time student at the Mikindani Vocational Training Center. She is currently pursuing a course in beauty therapy and eagerly anticipates completing her training. Her goal is to utilize these newfound skills to enhance her family’s economic prospects.

A child’s wish: 

Nancy really longs to see her family reconciled. She also longs to see her parents taking up their responsibilities, which include offering parental love to their children. This case was also reported to the children’s department and presented as neglect by the parents who are both alive.