From Trauma to Triumph! Kiongozi´s Journey of Hope

11-year-old Kiongozi* lives with her parents, her 7 siblings and paternal grandmother in Teso North Sub-county, Kenya. They live in an unfinished structure house made of iron sheets. The house has no windows, thus lighting is inadequate during the day, and they have to use solar powered lamps at night. The house has three rooms; a living room and two bedrooms. A mud-walled hut in front of the home serves as a kitchen. The family fetches water for domestic use from a well, about three kilometers away.

The family depends on small-scale farming on their 5-acre piece of land, producing about 20 sacks of maize (2 tons) and approximately 15 sacks of beans (1.5 tons) every year. This provides enough food for them for a whole year. However, their financial struggles persist, and they can only eat what they can get their hands on. Kiongozi’s parents rely on casual labor on other people’s farms to supplement their income. Access to medical care is a grave concern for them since the nearest health center is located 4 kilometers away, with the roads to the hospitals only being accessible during the dry season. When it rains, the roads are impassable, and they resort to traditional herbs for their ailments.

Every morning, Kiongozi wakes up at 6 am to wash the dishes, sweep the home, and make breakfast for the family before heading to school. She attends a primary school, which is approximately 2 kilometers from her home. One of her teachers is her 38-year-old maternal uncle. She is an excellent performer in school. Her desire to improve her academic performance influenced her decision to seek private tutoring from her uncle who lives in a rented house across the road from the school. Kiongozi had grown accustomed to her uncle and could go to him at any time for academic assistance. 

On one fateful afternoon, Kiongozi left school and went to her uncle’s house like she did every other day. She went in, did her homework, and then her uncle summoned her to the adjacent garden to bring him a plough for gardening. It was at that moment that he took advantage of her and sexually exploited her. He then handed her Euroe 0.067 and warned her not to utter a word to anyone. Kiongozi left her uncle’s house and returned home that evening, feeling shattered and in pain. She could not explain the traumatizing experience to her mother, father, or siblings. She tried her best to maintain a normal appearance as she continued her regular activities. “I was so worried since I did not know how my mother would react if she found out what her beloved brother had done to me. I kept asking myself if she would believe me.” she narrated.

In February 2022, Kiongozi saw a gathering of people in the office of the chief during one of her usual strolls through their village. The gathering happened to be one of the community dialogue-structured sessions organized by Terre des Hommes Netherlands under the JOFA CP Project.

She recognized one of her mother’s close friends in the crowd, who is a Community Focal Person (CFP) from the area. Having seen her mother’s close friend in the gathering and discussing child protection issues, Kiongozi bravely confided in her the following day. “I assured her that for me to support her, I would need to speak with other people, including her mother,” said the community focal person. “He is my brother, and I had no idea something like that could happen,” said Kiongozi’s mother upon learning of the incident.

Kiongozi was taken to the hospital for a medical check up and underwent critical medical tests. She was then taken to the police station where they were assisted by Gender Based Violence police officers and filed a case. A case plan was developed and counseling sessions were scheduled, with the Directorate of Children's Services (DCS) seeking the services of a pro bono psychologist to attend to Kiongozi. “She opened up to me and said she cried the whole night but no one noticed she was in pain,” recalled one of the counselors. Kiongozi managed to complete four counseling sessions with the counselor by November 2022. "Her confidence has improved and she can now smile and express herself," said the counselor.

Following reporting of the case to the police, legal redress commenced and the case was taken to court. As the court proceedings began, her uncle fled into hiding. Their extended family requested that the incident be dismissed so that they could discuss it as a family outside of court. When Kiongozi’s mother refused, they expelled her from the family. The perpetrator reappeared in late November, and the police apprehended him and he was arraigned before the Busia Law Courts. He was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court later this year (2023) to face the charges.