Whoever sees 11-year-old Vicky* mingling with her friends in the surrounding playgrounds near her house in Busia (Kenya) can imagine the life of a Kenyan girl: Wake up at 6:30, take breakfast and run to school until 1:00 PM when lunch is ready for her and her seven siblings.
But life is not that easy for Vicky. At least since when, eight years ago, her mother fell ill and the whole family struggled to pay for her treatment. At that moment, Vicky’s father was the sole breadwinner and 42 euros a month can’t feed ten people and pay for expensive drugs and hospitals.
Financial constraints and illness led to divorce. Vicky’s parents broke parts and she and one of her siblings ended up living with their father despite her mother tried to get custody of her children through the Department of Children Services. She was found unfit to live with them.
Life was hard at her father’s house. After six years of physical abuse and daily violence, fear took the place of her once joyful childhood.
She started skipping school, scared to death and with no one to report her situation. “Sometimes they would come to school with bruises on their bodies and tell stories about how they were denied food”, said Ms. Jude*, a teacher at Lung’a primary school.
In January 2021, Vicky’s mother made a second attempt to have the custody of her children. Her wishes were, however, denied again. Their father stopped providing basic needs and decided not to pay school fees when the school reopened in August 2021.
In December 2021, a Locational Area Advisory Council member met Vicky and her sister stranded at a nearby market late in the evening. After listening to their story, he escorted them home. The following day, guided by the knowledge acquired during the Case Management and Referral training organized by JOFA, the Locational Area Advisory Council approached Vicky’s father to find out more about the situation.
Vicky’s father was arrested and held for 24 hours in police custody and later transferred to Busia police station where he was charged with neglect and omission of his duties and pleaded guilty to the charges.
The magistrate released him on cash bail and compelled him to discharge his duties to fully support his children. On 4th January 2022, Vicky and her elder sister were placed back to their former school.
The court also ordered that the children should have access to their mother when schools close, an agreement that was signed by the father.
Currently, a home visit is conducted monthly to monitor the father and ensure he is always on his best behavior. The Department of Children Services office continuously monitors the progress of the children and their relationship with the father. A report of progress is made on a monthly basis to Busia law courts for the next six months.
Vicky and her sister now have a sense of relief since they can visit their mother freely at their grandparents’ home.
Currently, Vicky’s health has improved, she has adopted her daily routines and is staying together with her father and stepmother. Additionally, both children are linked with guiding and counselling teachers in their respective schools.
According to Vicky’s teacher, she is performing well in school. She is as happy and as talkative as she used to be. Speaking after the intervention, Vicky happily said “I want to work hard so that one day I might be able to help those who are in need and those with special diseases just like my mother so that I can relieve them of their burdens.”
*Not her real name.
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