Zainab Chebet
AGE: 19
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Zainab is the fifth born in a family of nine. Her step-father is polygamous, and her mother is his second wife. Although Zainab’s biological father is deceased, she has a good relationship with her step-father. Her mother sells second hand clothing and raises chickens to sell eggs as a means of income for the family.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Zainab attended traditional school through Form 2 (10th grade) but had to drop out because of her pregnancy.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Being from a materially impoverished family, Zainab has been vulnerable to abuse. After she gave birth to her son, Lyon (1.5 years), she went to work as casual laborer for the Kenya Seed Company, but had to leave that job because it, once again, left her exposed to men who wanted to abuse her. Zainab heard about Neema from Bilha, a Neema graduate, and was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018. She is excited to learn a skill and have a means of providing for her son and her family.
Valentine Man'eni
AGE: 18
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Valentine was born out of wedlock. She has never known her father, and her mother rejected her. She lives with her grandmother who is not financially stable and struggles to support her.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Valentine attended traditional school through Form 2 (10th grade) but had to drop out because of her financial disadvantage.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Having been abandoned by her mother, Valentine has a low self image and lives under a cloud of rejection. She desires to find a way to work through the hurt she has experienced and gain a better outlook on life. Valentine loves her church and sings in the church choir. She heard about Neema from a friend and came to interview. Valentine was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Terry Nyongesa
AGE: 19
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Terry is the eighth born of ten children. Her father is a shoe shiner/mender after being injured in a car accident and having to quit his job as a taxi driver. Terry’s mother is a vegetable vendor. The family lives in extreme material poverty as Terry’s parents struggle to make enough money to buy food and meet basic needs.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Terry was a bright student, scoring high marks on her national exams. Just before starting high school, her mother was arrested for defaulting on a loan, leaving the family without the means to pay for Terry’s education.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Without the money to pay for her fees, Terry was forced to leave school behind and find work as a casual laborer. A local pastor told her about Neema and she was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Susan Imali
AGE: 18
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Susan is the fifth born in a family of eight. Her father is a drunkard and tends to be violent. Susan’s mother is a casual worker, farming vegetables and dairy to provide income for the family. Her mother also cares for three orphaned children and volunteers in the community distributing mosquito nets and aid.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Susan attended traditional school into Form 1 (9th grade) but dropped out after a few months because she could not afford the fees.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: After dropping out of school, Susan was left vulnerable and became pregnant with her daughter, Patience (8 months). She was abandoned by the baby’s father and went to look for work in Nairobi as a house girl. The conditions in Nairobi were not favorable, so she returned home where she was told about Neema from a local pastor. Susan was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Stellah Namalwa
AGE: 20
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Stellah is the second born in a family of seven. Her parents divorced when she was still young, and she was sent to live with her grandparents. Stellah has not seen her mother since her parents split, and her father’s whereabouts is currently unknown. Her grandparents are too old to work, so the family lives in extreme material poverty.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Stellah attended traditional school through class 8 but had to drop out in 2015 because of her financial disadvantage.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Stellah suffers a deep sense of rejection after being abandoned by both parents. Seeking help to see the brighter side of life, and trying to find a way to support her aging grandparents who have cared for her, Stellah interviewed at Neema. She was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2017 along with her cousin, Rose.
Rose Nasambu
AGE: 18
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Rose is the last born of her parents. Her father is polygamous, having other families, and currently lives with another wife and children. He works as a personal security guard but does not financially support Rose’s mother who is unemployed and relies on handouts to try to feed the family.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Rose attended traditional school through class 8 but dropped out in 2013 because of her financial disadvantage.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Unable to attend school and without a father to look after her, Rose was left vulnerable and became pregnant. Her son, Ian, is 8 months old. Rose is burdened by a deep sense of rejection after being abandoned by her father. She desires to learn a skill so she can help provide food and necessities for her mother, son, and the rest of her family. She learned about Neema from two of the Tailoring 2 students, Selter and Nancy, and was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018. Her cousin, Stellah, also joined the Tailoring 1 class this year.
Norah Nasambu
AGE: 21
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Norah is the second born of three children. She is an orphan after having lost her father in 2002 and her mother in 2006. She lives with a guardian who has been employing her as house help.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Norah was a bright student, scoring high marks on her national exams. She attended traditional school through class 8 but could not continue on to high school because she lacked the funds to pay for school fees.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: After losing both parents, Norah lived in extreme material poverty and was left vulnerable to abuse. As a result, she has faced many challenges and has become closed off. A friend told her about Neema, and she was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018. Norah’s guardian hopes that she will experience healing and learn a skill to make a better life for herself.
Noel Chepkurgat
AGE: 17
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Noel is the third born of eight children. Her parents both work as casual laborers when jobs are available to them, but they have no steady income. Noel and her older sister went to live with their cousin, a livestock farmer, after they both became pregnant and were chased away from their home.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Noel managed to attend school through class 8 but could not continue on because of her pregnancy.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Noel has been discouraged by the fact that she has had no way to provide for her and her son, Lewis, who is now a year old. Her cousin, who is a single mother caring for 6 children, has a desire for Noel to become self reliant and have a bright future. So she brought Noel to interview at Neema, and Noel was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Naomi Nafulah
AGE: 16
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Naomi is one of four children. Her parents are separated, and Naomi and her siblings live with their grandmother, who does casual labor to try and provide food for the children. Occasionally, Naomi’s father will send money from his job as a cleaner, but they cannot rely on his support.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Naomi attended school through class 7 but had to drop out because of her pregnancy.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Naomi’s daughter, Blessing, is 8 months old. Naomi has been struggling to raise her alone and was searching for a way to make a better life for her family. Naomi heard about Neema and decided to take a chance and interview. She was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Moureen Nekesa
AGE: 15
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Moureen is from a family of eight children, and her parents are separated. Her family has no reliable source of income and lives in extreme material poverty.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Moureen attended traditional school up to class 8. She had to drop out because of a lack of funds to pay for her school fees, and in the process, ended up getting pregnant.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Shortly after getting pregnant, Moureen was abandoned by the father of her baby. Her son, Devan Juma, is now 8 months old. After becoming a mother and having no means to provide for herself or her child, Moureen’s outlook on life became very bleak. She heard about Neema through Rodgers, the caretaker at the Neema production shop, and decided to interview. She was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Moureen Nanjala
AGE: 23
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Moureen is one of seven children. Her father passed away in 2016, and her mother moved away to try and find work, so Moureen went to live with relatives. She currently resides with her widowed aunt and her aunt’s seven children. The aunt sells food at a kiosk and washes laundry to try and provide for the family.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Moureen attended school through class 8. But despite having high marks, she could not continue on to high school because of her financial disadvantage.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: After dropping out of school, Moureen went to work as a house girl to provide funds for her siblings so they could stay in school. Regardless, several of her siblings currently live in an orphanage because her aunt cannot care for any more children, and because Moureen’s mother is unstable. Moureen came to Neema in hopes of pursuing a better life for her and her family. She was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Mercy Namkuru
AGE: 22
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Mercy is the third born of four children. Her father is deceased, and her mother does not have a reliable source of income. She and the children do their best to survive on casual work as it becomes available.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Mercy attended traditional school through Form 2 (tenth grade). In 2013, Mercy had to drop out of school because of her pregnancy.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Mercy has a 3 year old son named Samuel. Samuel’s father does not provide any financial support, though he does check in on his son periodically. Mercy was working casual labor as house help to try and provide for her family before a friend referred her to Neema. She was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018. Mercy hopes that by learning a skill she will finally have a means of steady income for her family.
Mercyline Chephirchir
AGE: 21
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Mercyline, Mercy for short, is from a family of seven. Her parents are farmers who grow maize and raise livestock as a means of income.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Mercy attended school through class 8 but dropped out in 2013 to elope. Mercy ended up getting pregnant, and the baby’s father turned her away.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: After being sent away, Mercy returned to live with her parents and ended up having a cesarean to deliver her baby girl, Lynn (2 years old). The rejection she felt, and the trauma from her delivery, made her believe she was a failure and that no institution would ever accept her. Then she heard about Neema from a neighbor, Loyce, who is a student in the Tailoring 2 class. Mercyline was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Joan Wekesa
AGE: 17
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Joan is the first born of four children. Her father abandoned the family in 2009, and her mother is a casual worker who cannot afford to care for all her children. Joan lives with her aunt and uncle who are her guardians. Her uncle buys and sells corn, and her aunt is a casual worker. They rent land in order to grow food for the family to survive.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Joan attended primary school but dropped out in 2016 because of financial disadvantage.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Joan has suffered a lot of rejection because she was abandoned by her father and is considered a financial burden to her mother. Her aunt and uncle struggle to make a living and have additional medical expenses because her aunt is asthmatic. Joan desires to become self reliant and productive to care for herself and her guardians. She heard about Neema from Monicah, a second year Neema student, and was accepted into the Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Iddah Nanjala
AGE: 20
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Iddah is the second born of seven children. Her father died in 2005, and her mother has since remarried and is a casual worker. Iddah got married in her teens, but after getting pregnant with her second child, her husband denied the baby was his and abandoned her.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Iddah attended school through class 7 but had to drop out because she became pregnant with her first child.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Since her husband left her, Iddah has been living with her mother, step-father, and siblings. She has been working as a casual worker cleaning corn for the Kenya Seed Company in an attempt to provide for her children, Esther (age 3) and Paul (8 months) and the rest of her family. The family lives in extreme material poverty and often has to go without food. Iddah heard about Neema through a local pastor and was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018. She hopes that by learning a trade she can help her family have a better life.
Faith Chepkorir
AGE: 19
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Faith is one of seven children. She and her siblings live with their mother because their father is polygamous and left them to live with another wife. Faith’s mother works as a casual cleaner at a government dispensary and farms their ⅕ acre plot of land to provide food for the family.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Faith attended school through class 8 but had to drop out in 2012 because her mother did not have money to pay for school fees.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Faith’s family lives in extreme material poverty, leaving Faith and her siblings vulnerable to disadvantage. Their only access to water is to retrieve it from a local river. Faith’s mother works very hard to care for the family but has found it difficult to make a hopeful life for her children. Faith and her younger sister, Anne, heard about Neema through local advertisements and came together to apply at Neema. Both young women were accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Elisabeth Nekesa Waswa
AGE: 18
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Elizabeth has been raised by her grandmother because her mother, who was only a teenager when she gave birth, was not capable of caring for a child. Elizabeth’s grandmother is unemployed and struggles to meet their basic needs.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Elizabeth attended school through class 8 but was unable to continue because of her financial disadvantage.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: After dropping out of school, Elizabeth was left vulnerable and became pregnant. Elizabeth’s daughter, Abigael, is now one year old. Abigael’s father has denied paternity and has abandoned her and Elizabeth. Elizabeth has suffered many rejections and longs to find her place in life. She heard about Neema through her uncle, a local pastor, and was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Debbrah Kemunto
AGE: 19
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Debbrah is one of six children belonging to her mother. She was raised in a polygamous home where her mother was the second of seven wives. Her father died in 2002 under mysterious circumstances, and her mother works as a casual laborer.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Debbrah tried to attend traditional school but was often sent away because her school fees had not been paid. This inability to remain at school left her vulnerable, and she got pregnant during the time she would have been in class 6. After her child, Crisandus (age 3) was born, she tried to return to school in class 7 but ended up getting pregnant again and dropped out of school permanently. Her daughter, Melody Moraa, is now 1.5 years old.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Debbrah’s family was chased out of her father’s home and has been living with Debbrah’s grandmother in extreme material poverty. She and her siblings struggle under the burden of rejection from the rest of their family. Debbrah heard about Neema from our production manager and was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Cetrine Nangekhe
AGE: 18
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Cetrine is the seventh born in a family of nine children. Her father works as a casual cleaner at a district hospital, and her mother stays home to care for five of her children and one grandchild.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Cetrine attended traditional schooling into high school but had to drop out in Form 2 (tenth grade) because her family could no longer afford to pay for her education.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Cetrine’s father is an alcoholic who, as a result, sometimes acts violently or neglects his family altogether. In addition, her mother suffers from stomach ulcers caused by the stress and pressures of living in extreme material poverty. Cetrine longs to be self reliant and in a position where she can help her family. She heard about Neema through a local pastor and was accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.
Anne Chelagat
AGE: 16
FAMILY BACKGROUND: Anne is one of seven children, and she and her siblings live with their mother. Her father is polygamous and left Anne’s family to live with another wife. Anne’s mother works as a casual cleaner at a government dispensary and farms their ⅕ acre plot of land to provide food for the family.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: Anne attended school through class 5 but had to drop out because her mother did not have money to pay for school fees.
CURRENT LIFE SITUATION: Anne’s family lives in extreme material poverty, leaving Anne and her siblings vulnerable to disadvantage. Their only access to water is to retrieve it from a local river. Anne’s mother works very hard to care for the family but has found it difficult to make a hopeful life for her children. Anne and her older sister, Faith, heard about Neema through local advertisements and together applied to Neema. Both young women were accepted into Neema’s Tailoring 1 class in January 2018.