Instead of spending their evenings revising class notes or enjoying time with friends, the siblings spend long hours washing clothes for strangers to earn money and keep their younger siblings fed.
Sixteen-year-old Akinyi and her younger sister Atieno, 15, never imagined life would take such a painful turn. The two girls say they were forced to become “mama fua” workers after their mother disappeared nearly two years ago, leaving them alone to care for their three younger siblings.
Their small iron-sheet house sits quietly at the edge of a crowded estate. Inside, the family owns only a few plastic chairs, an old mattress, and cooking utensils donated by neighbors. Despite the hardship, the sisters remain determined to survive and continue with school.
“We had no choice,” Akinyi says softly. “If we stayed at home crying, our younger brothers and sister would sleep hungry. We decided to look for washing jobs so we could buy food and pay for some school needs.”
According to the girls, life changed suddenly after their mother left home without explanation. Their father had passed away years earlier, leaving the family under the care of their mother. Initially, they believed she had gone away temporarily to search for work.
“We waited for her for many months,” recalls Atieno. “We kept hoping she would come back. But days became weeks, and weeks became years.”
Without a stable source of income, the family soon faced severe hardship. School fees became impossible to afford, meals became fewer, and unpaid rent nearly forced them onto the streets.
Sixteen-year-old Akinyi and her younger sister Atieno, 15, never imagined life would take such a painful turn. The two girls say they were forced to become “mama fua” workers after their mother disappeared nearly two years ago, leaving them alone to care for their three younger siblings.
Their small iron-sheet house sits quietly at the edge of a crowded estate. Inside, the family owns only a few plastic chairs, an old mattress, and cooking utensils donated by neighbors. Despite the hardship, the sisters remain determined to survive and continue with school.
“We had no choice,” Akinyi says softly. “If we stayed at home crying, our younger brothers and sister would sleep hungry. We decided to look for washing jobs so we could buy food and pay for some school needs.”
According to the girls, life changed suddenly after their mother left home without explanation. Their father had passed away years earlier, leaving the family under the care of their mother. Initially, they believed she had gone away temporarily to search for work.
“We waited for her for many months,” recalls Atieno. “We kept hoping she would come back. But days became weeks, and weeks became years.”
Without a stable source of income, the family soon faced severe hardship. School fees became impossible to afford, meals became fewer, and unpaid rent nearly forced them onto the streets.
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