Usikimye

TW : Graphic Images This Maureen. She's 24 years of age, a mother of two children, 4 years and 11/2 years. Maureen was working as a daily house help (dayburg) and lived with her husband in Soweto. In February of this year, she noticed a swelling on her stomach and it kept on growing. Her employer thought she was pregnant and dismissed her from work. She says her husband was repulsed by the swelling which affected both her tummy and breast and he soon started cheating. She has been in so much pain but couldn't afford to go to hospital. When the floods came in April, her house was one of those on the river bank and was swept away. Her husband also disappeared. A good Samaritan gave her shelter for the past one month. However, she was told to leave as her husband was coming back and the single room they all lived in was too small to fit everyone. Having nowhere else to go, nor any money she opted to sleep outside our office where we found her when we opened the office yesterday morning. We then fed her, and our psychologist was able to speak and offer her PFA. We took her to the hospital but we were referred to Kijabe Hospital. For the time being, we have put her children in protective custody so we can take her to Kijabe. The doctor who saw her says there's probably going to be surgery. We are asking for your help kindly Paybill 891300 Account Rescue Mpesa Line 0718158400 Arleen Migwi Asante #Usikimye

Trigger Warning!! Date: 12th July 2024 Name: EAO Age: 34 Report Time: 1:15 pm Incident Date: 10th July 2024 Case Type: Domestic Violence/Physical Assault Brief The client was referred to our offices by a lady who is part of our inua mama program. The client says that she has been married to the perpetrator for 4 years now and that throughout the relationship he has always been physically abusive but not to this extent. On Wednesday 10th July 2024, the husband came home at around 8pm and started complaining that the house is messy. He started punching her and bit her finger and her cheek spitting the piece he had bit off. He continued beating her up and tried to also beat up their child. The client says that he kept threatening to kill her and she managed to escape and go ask for help at the caretaker’s house who took her to Soweto police station where she was given an O.B number and directed to go Mama Lucy Hospital for further assistance. We took her the next day as she wasn’t able to go to the hospital the same night. She was given a medical report and a P3 form. She reports that she reached out to her parents for assistance but they ended up siding with the husband as he sends them money. She slept outside on Thursday as she didn’t have anywhere to go to. She has relatives in Nairobi but they have families and she doesn’t want to be a burden. Her father is supportive but her stepmother controls him. We had to take her to a private facility as human bites are sometimes fatal, and she had only been given tetanus shots. We have taken her to our safe house as the husband has disappeared. #Usikimye

JUST IN: Hon. Justice Sergon of Kericho High Court suspends the swearing in of John Chebochok as director for the Toror Tea Factory in the upcoming AGM scheduled for 18th July 2024. Court ruling on his directorship to be made on 15th August. #ChebochokResignNow Wangu Kanja Foundation Flone Initiative Oxfam Usikimye

Bonaberi, a 17-year-old form one student died by suicide. She had been sent to the assistant chief for a talk about the importance of staying in school. Assistant Chief Osano instead stripped her naked, humiliated her, and whipped her in front of her father and other men. He also inserted a stinging nettle plant into her private parts which is sexual assault. He then proceeded to whip her father too. She left behind a suicide note explaining what transpired. We demand the arrest and prosecution of Simon Osano, the assistant chief of Amabuko sub location, Nyaribari Masaba. We stand resolute against the brutal abuse that led to a young girl’s tragic suicide in Amabuko Village. To the public let us demand justice and accountability with us. #JusticeforBonareri #Usikimye

This is Zibiah Sheerah Wambui. 14 years old , avid skater, jovial, and caring teenager. She lived in Goethestraße, Guben, Germany with her mom ,step father and three sibling. Friday after school she found her stepdad , he was on his paternal visit in the house. He claimed to be unwell so Zibiahs mum left him in the house to pick the other kids from school. When Z came , she went to the kitchen to make a snack when Daniel her stepdad snuck upon her, held her from behind and slit her throat. He then stabbed himself. Z's mom came in to find both of them bleeding on the kitchen floor, she managed to tussle Z from his grip and she crawled out to hide the other kids. When Daniel overpowered the mother and ran to the stairs attacked Z again and stabbed her severally. The neighbours called the police and paramedics. They managed to overpower Daniel with a taser . The paramedics set to resuscitate her but it was too late, Zibiah passed away in her mothers arms. Zibiah Wambui 🥀🥀🥀 we speak your name Zibiah Wambui 🥀🥀🥀 we remember you. End Femicide.

4 Nov 1983. The village of Kianyaga , Kirinyaga. 39-year-old Piah Njoki who was heavily pregnant with her 6th daughter was lying on the floor screaming, blood pouring from her face. Her husband had gouged out her eyes with a shard of glass. He was angry that his wife was unable to bear him sons. The neighbors said it was usual to hear screaming from that home, just that it was worse on this day. Jackson Kagwai was later arrested and taken into custody. He was found guilty of permanently blinding Njoki in 1986 and he was jailed for seven years. ( Njoki appealed for a lighter sentence as he was the breadwinner having lost her job as a teacher due to blindness). Njoki then filed a civil suit against her husband. The case, High Court of Kenya Civil Case No. 3897 of 1986. It was clear the battery had gone on for years but the schoolteacher had persevered through it all for her children. Kagwai, a former banker, then a bar owner, and a farmer, was the primary breadwinner in the family. Njoki’s only source of income was her teacher’s salary, one she could now not earn because she couldn’t resume her position at Kirinyaga Primary School. To the court, it was clear that Kagwai had not only planned the attack, he had also caused irreparable damage to Njoki’s eyes and life and awarded her 900,000 in damages. Njoki, who changed her name legally to Juliana Magochi Njoki, adapted to a new life as a visually impaired person. She went back to school to learn Braille so she could teach again. She brought up her six children with the help of her parents. One of the girls died but the other five grew up into budding young women who are now all married. Njoki passed away in November 2009. (Source: Owaah) The girl Njoki was expecting on 04th November 1983 was Hellen Murugi Njoki. Unfortunately, Hellen was murdered by her husband on 31st May 2024 in Thika. The cycle of violence went full circle and claimed Piahs Njoki's last-born daughter. She leaves behind 2 children. Hellen Murugi Njoki We speak your name Hellen Murugi Njoki We remember you We must end the femicide pandemic in Kenya. #usikimye

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Yesterday a call came from a very distressed employer reporting that her daily DM was being held and shut in the house by her husband who was threatening to kill her. When S didn't show up for work she called her and she could hear her distress in the background. Luckily at around 1 pm she managed to escape the clutches of her husband and called her employer with her neighbour's phone. The employer went to Muthangari Police to report and ask for help since the DM stays in Kawangare, she was however redirected to Parklands where she stays. 7pm when she finally reached us, we were able to get two police from Muthangari Police who moved with alacrity to Congo Area of Kawangware. Through the neighbor's instructions, we were able to get there and rescue the lady. The brother of the S had been beaten by a hammer by the perp when he tried to rescue her. When the police broke the door and grabbed him, S shot out of the house and ran for dear life. The perpetrator was arrested for physically assaulting S's brother with a hammer and physical violence beating S with a panga. After we found her, she had cuts, bruises, and injuries from her ordeal. She was taken to the hospital. He will be taken to court tomorrow. We are grateful that the employer was kind enough to follow up on her Daily Help until the end of the ordeal. Gender Based Violence is everyone's issue and together we can all end this menace. #Usikimye

Yesterday, representatives from Zamara, Feminists In Kenya (FIK), and Usikimye met with the Victims Protection Board and the Witness Protection Agency to explore how we can work together to end GBV. We thank Mary Wairagu, acting CEO of the Victims Protection Board, and Jedidah Waruhiu, CEO of the Witness Protection Agency, for their strong commitment to ending SGBV. We're looking forward to working together.

Very urgent help needed: This is Soweto, Kayole this morning. We have been cooking & feeding displaced people plus children for the last one week. We no longer have the resources to continue doing so. We need your help. One plate of food is around 30 Ksh. We are feeding over 1000 people, one meal a day. For most people, that is their only meal during this hard time. On top of it, people have no home to go to. So far 15 people have died that we know of. At Usikimye we have visited 200 households and completed need assessments. We urgently need food, blankets and mattresses. A mattress - 3 *6 costs about 3,050 Blankets - the cheapest is 800 The situation is dire. Any support will help. People in informal settlements (slums) have been hit hard by the floods and our Soweto people have no help, no visibility, and lives are being lost. Help us, help the children and parents of Soweto. M-PESA PayBill: 510800 Acc: Usikimye Mpesa number: 0718158400 (Arleen Njeri) Asanteni for your support, always.