In the crowded lanes of Motherland, Eastleigh slums, where life is a daily negotiation with poverty, there exists another reality, one rarely spoken aloud. It is the story of adolescent girls whose innocence has been stolen, whose bodies are traded for survival, and whose rights remain nothing more than words on paper.

Here, a packet of sanitary towels can determine whether a girl keeps her dignity or loses her childhood. A piece of chicken worth 30 shillings can decide whether she is fed or forced.

Amina’s Story: When Childhood Ends Too Soon

(name changed for privacy)

At only 14, Amina was lured by a neighbor with the promise of food. Hunger was constant, and saying “no” felt impossible. That day, her childhood was stolen. Today, she is a mother—not by choice, but through violence, her only mistake… being poor and in need of food. Her child was born disabled, the result of trauma she should never have carried at her age.

In Motherland, who listens to Amina?

The Chicken That Cost Too Much

Halima recalls how she and her friends were often given fried chicken pieces by a local man. They laughed, ate, and for a moment forgot their hunger. But each drumstick and thigh had a hidden cost. “Just one more favor,” he would say, until food turned into a debt paid with her body.

It is unthinkable—a girl’s worth measured against Ksh 30 of chicken.

Sold by Those They Trust

Some girls in Motherland are betrayed by their own parents, sold to the highest bidder to ease household struggles. Others are preyed upon by boda boda riders, who offer free rides or small amounts of money in exchange for their innocence and dignity, which should never be up for negotiation.

And when families gather courage to report these crimes, chiefs and local leaders—the very people entrusted to protect—often accept handouts from perpetrators, ensuring justice never comes.

The Bigger Picture: Rights on Paper, Silence in Reality

Kenya has strong legal and policy frameworks:

• The Children Act (2022) guarantees protection from abuse and exploitation.
• The National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy (2015) promises access to information and services.
• The Free Sanitary Towels Programme was meant to keep girls in school.

Yet in Motherland, these rights remain words on paper. According to UNFPA, 1 in 5 girls in Kenya is married or pregnant before 18. In urban informal settlements, the risk of sexual exploitation is even higher due to poverty and weak accountability systems.

What I Have Witnessed

Through my work with the Maryben Foundation, I have sat with these girls in safe spaces we create. I have listened to whispered truths—stories too heavy for children to carry.

I have seen tears turn into silence because there is “no one to listen.” I have met survivors who dropped out of school after being raped. I have comforted a motherless teenage girl raising a disabled child born from violence. I have looked into the eyes of girls who tell me, “All I wanted was a pad.”

This is not hearsay. It is lived reality.

What Must Change

1. Guarantee Access to SRHR Services: Soweto girls need youth-friendly clinics, counseling, and safe contraception options.
2. Free & Consistent Sanitary Towel Distribution: Pads should not be charity—they are dignity. The government’s program must reach informal settlements reliably.
3. Accountability of Local Leaders: Chiefs and police officers who shield perpetrators through bribes must face strict penalties.
4. Community Reporting Systems: Girls need secure, stigma-free channels to report abuse. Digital platforms, peer networks, and confidential helplines must be strengthened.
5. Economic Empowerment for Families: Poverty is the breeding ground of exploitation. Livelihood programs targeting women and parents are essential to break the cycle.

My Call as a Leader

As a woman who has lived through trauma and now advocates for others, I cannot remain silent. Through the Maryben Foundation, I will continue to create safe spaces, provide psychosocial support, and push for policy accountability.

But this fight is bigger than one organization. It requires:

• Government action to implement existing policies with urgency.
• Civil society solidarity to amplify girls’ voices and close protection gaps.
• Community courage to break the silence and stop normalizing exploitation.

When you walk through Motherland, Eastleigh, you may see only busy streets and everyday survival. But if you look closer, you will see girls carrying scars no child should ever bear.

They do not ask for pity.

They ask for justice, protection, and their rights restored.

Because no girl in the Motherland should ever have to trade her childhood for food, pads, or survival.

This fight is bigger than one organization—it belongs to all of us. Stand with me through the Maryben Foundation. As we create safe spaces, restore dignity, and demand justice.