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TRANSFORMING LIVES:
CASE STUDIES
Rebuilding Hope; Gender-based Violence survivors
and the power of empowerment
In Nairobi's Mukuru Kwa Njenga and Mukuru
Kwa Reuben slums, gender-based violence
(GBV) remains a pervasive issue that destroys
lives and communities. Yet, it is in the resilience
of survivors that hope is found. Stories from
these communities are not just about pain
and suffering, but about recovery,
empowerment, and the pursuit of justice.
A Glimmer of Hope: Survivors often display remarkable strength, yet
they face significant complexities and challenges
Mercy's Story when navigating personal trauma and societal
expectations.
Mercy*, a determined 16-year-old with aspirations
of becoming a journalist, was a victim of a traumatic Tragic Loss: Joy’s Death and
assault last year when three men attacked her on
her way to visit her brother. Despite the brutality of the Call for Change
the assault, Mercy's resilience has been inspiring.
A passerby’s intervention saved her, but the shame While Mercy's journey shows how resilience can
and fear that followed kept her from immediately spark hope, Joy’s tragic story paints a more painful
reporting the crime. picture of the consequences of GBV. Joy, a young
girl from the same community, was defiled and
Mercy was afraid of her father's strictness and
murdered by her stepfather in August. The shock
felt uncertain about how to move forward. With
of her death left her family, especially her aunt
the support of a school mentor, she found the
Mary Gacheri, devastated. "By the time we got her
courage to confide in her mother, who remained
by her side throughout the healing process. to the hospital, all her dreams and ambitions had
"When I look at my daughter, I hold no ill feelings, died with her," Mary recalls, underlining the
" she expressed.Mercy says, speaking of the child immense loss that comes with the death of a
born from the assault. Raising her daughter young survivor. Joy’s case reminds us of the fatal
hasn't been easy, but Mercy remains determined consequences of GBV, and it underscores the
to break her family's cycle of poverty and build a urgency of systemic change in response to
better future. violence against women and girls.
30 Annual Report 2024
