Kathy´s road to transformation
Kathy, 24, resides in Naivasha county in Kenya with her parents, two brothers and her two-year-old baby. Her dream to go to college was abruptly cut short when her father´s income was no longer enough to support her education. Her only option was to look for a job after completing her high school education at the age of 19 years. Unfortunately, things took a completely different turn than expected as she was economically and sexually exploited by her bosses.
No way out
Kathy worked as a domestic worker and her male employers constantly refused to pay her dues until she granted them sexual favours. Kathy´s vulnerable situation did not make it any easier for her to quit and find other ways to earn money. She explained, ¨I was feeling very helpless because there was nothing I could do to the clients who could not pay me well. I had to continue working since any form of work was hard to come by.¨
Abandoned
One of Kathy´s employers sexually exploited her by luring her with false promises of marriage and future economic support. He abandoned her once he discovered that she was pregnant, leaving Kathy to fend for herself and the baby.
Ray of hope
A peer educator from our partner Kenya National Outreach Counselling and Training Programme (K-NOTE) reached out to Kathy to join their programme. She accepted the invitation to join the Key Population project and was registered for a six-month vocational hairdressing training course. ¨Hairdressing has always been my dream course. Even before being trained, I always found myself doing it,” she stated. The project staff continues monitoring her progress through routine visits to the salon. Upon completion of the hairdressing training, Kathy will be supported to start her own salon through the provision of starter kits. In spite of her extremely busy schedule, she is very determined to complete her training and she hopes for a promising brighter future. ¨I am on the road to transformation and this training will be my ladder to a better life. All thanks to TdH-NL through K-NOTE. God bless you for supporting me in realizing my dream.¨ She said.