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Caroline Nekesa’s Journey

Caroline Nekesa grew up in Vihiga County. She was raised by her uncle from the time she was in Class 2 until Class 6. Life became increasingly difficult due to a lack of basic needs. When her uncle got married, his wife began mistreating Caroline, forcing her to drop out of school in Class 6.

Later, she moved to Nairobi to work as a house help. Although she was provided with basic necessities, her employer never paid her. At 16, she began planning to marry her boyfriend and eventually left her employer’s home to live with him.

In the beginning, he treated her like a queen, giving her everything she asked for. But while she was pregnant, a neighbor warned her that her boyfriend was a thief. Caroline didn’t believe it. He continued bringing her gifts—unbeknownst to her, they were stolen.

Eventually, his brother opened a business for Caroline and cautioned her about the boyfriend’s character. Still, she trusted him, and he siphoned all the money from the business, leading to its collapse.

After she gave birth, her partner’s behavior worsened. He started selling household items and became physically abusive whenever she confronted him. Despite everything, Caroline became pregnant with their second child, still holding onto hope that he might change. But things only deteriorated—he couldn’t even provide food.

Desperate, Caroline reached out to a woman for help. The woman agreed under one condition: Caroline would have to leave her two children behind. She accepted the offer, but once again, she was mistreated and not paid as promised.

Caroline began to think her child was the reason for the woman’s cruelty. In anguish, she packed the child’s clothes and milk, leaving the baby by the roadside. A kind stranger found the child and took her in. One day, Caroline saw the child’s photo posted on Facebook. Overcome with love, she reached out to the woman who had taken in her child. The matter was reported to the police, and by God’s grace, she wasn’t arrested.

Later, Caroline became pregnant again with her fourth child. Life grew even more unbearable. With no support from the father of her children, she resorted to selling her body just to provide for them.

Today, Caroline is only 27 years old and a mother of four. This is not a story for judgment—it’s one that calls for listening, compassion, and understanding. She has endured far more than many could imagine.