My name is Grace Wanjiru. I’m a 15-year-old born and raised in the Kiamaiko Slum in Kenya. I’m a student at Undugu Basic Education School in Mathre. For the first ten years of my life I had a mother and father and several older sisters and brothers.

Although poor, this first stage of my life I had few remarkable events and in telling of it, I can say little more than that mentioned. In 2005, everything changed. My father contacted Malaria and Died.

Before he died, my father was the only family member bringing in money for the household. After his passing, my teenage sisters became responsible for supporting our family and helping me go to school. To do so they took on odd jobs, mainly washing clothes. 

My mother was unable to assist due to the fact that when my father died she was 6 months pregnant with twins. Furthermore, besides having high blood pressure, my mother contacted TB and typhoid during her last months of pregnancy. Although she was taken to the hospital for treatment, the cost was beyond our means and we were forced to bring her back home.

Due to the family increasing level of poverty, my brother, out of need and idleness, became involved in petty crimes, including theft. One night, we received bad news that he had been shot and killed by the police. However no reason was given for the cause of the shooting. The news sent my mother back to the hospital due to her high blood pressure but once again we could not afford the costs of care.

 On our way back home, we came upon the body of my brother, still lying in the street. After speaking with the police, my sister discovered that my brother had not been caught in the middle of a crime or fleeing a scene. Rather, a police officer saw him, knew that he was a wanted criminal and shot him in the back.

I dream of one day finishing my education and working in a hair salon with my sister. When I grow up, I want to help my mother and if I have enough money I would like to help street children living in the slum. In the future I also want to work with the youths and help them to advocate for better life in the slums.

I thank teacher Martin and Joseph for helping me to share my stories to the whole world through blog writing in Digital storytelling project for Advocacy.

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