Hope has been like the sun to Stacy because her journey has cast a shadow of burden behind her. If it were not for hope, her heart would have broken by now. Growing up in Mathare slums in Nairobi County was a constant struggle for the 19 year-old Stacy Akinyi. She is the youngest in a family of four and lives with her mother, who sells cereals for survival. Her father succumbed to HIV/AIDS in the year 2010. Since then, her mother has been the sole breadwinner in the family. Stacy’s elder sister, Monica, who used to work as a receptionist, lost her job and has since been diagnosed with depression. She has been in and out of the psychiatric hospital. Her two brothers are married and work as casual laborers with no stable income; hence, they do not assist their mother financially. For Stacy, going without meals has always been a reality of life. Their landlord often put a padlock on their door because they could not raise Ksh 1,500 for rent.

For Stacy, going without meals has always been a reality of life. Their landlord often put a padlock on their door because they could not raise Ksh 1,500 for rent. Stacy attended secondary school thanks to a bursary fund and contribution from her local church. At some point, Stacy was forced to drop out of school. She was employed at an illicit brew den to earn some money to help her mother financially. Male customers would make sexual advances on her to try to lure her into transactional sex. Fortunately, she did not give in to their advances.

She completed her form four education in 2015, but was unable to collect her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) because she could not pay the Ksh 7,000 fee.

Story

Stacy caught wind of the Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team’s (AMURT) DREAMS Ajiri Dada project from a peer educator engaged by the project to create awareness and mobilize adolescent girls and young women. She knew the peer educator, who had watched her family struggle for more than a decade. Based on her vulnerable situation, the peer educator recommended her to the project. After carrying out an assessment and home visit, she found Stacy eligible to join the Ajiri Dada project.

Though her friends discouraged her from taking a course in professional housekeeping, as it is seen as a job for the illiterate and lower cadre in society, she did not give into their influence.

Stacy completed the one-month professional housekeeping course and graduated in March, 2017. Immediately after the training, while awaiting graduation, she was placed in a job at a high-end estate in Nairobi where she earns a salary of Ksh 10,800 every month.