In 2006, Wendy Maurine was preparing for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam, when both of her parents passed away tragically as a result of HIV. Because Wendy was the firstborn child in her family with four siblings, she took on the responsibility of raising her younger brothers and sisters by herself.

 When Wendy’s uncles, aunts, and other relatives learned of her parents’ death they did not offer to help. Instead they rushed into Wendy’s home and claimed various household belongings including beds, utensils, and appliances. Wendy and her siblings were left with nothing.

After these devastating events took place, Wendy resorted to borrowing food for her family from neighbors and friends. Yet after a time, the house rent became too high and she was forced to move with her brothers and sisters into a slum area of Mombasa.

Life was very hard after moving to the slum. Wendy would wake up early each morning to prepare her siblings for school. Then she would leave the house to look for casual labor such as washing clothes, earning only enough to feed her family one meal per day. Life in the slum was even more difficult for Wendy due to the fact that she was a young woman heading the household. Many nights Wendy and her siblings experienced burglaries and attacks by men who took advantage of the family’s vulnerable situation.

When Wendy was introduced to OAIC—Kenya Chapter’s youth empowerment program, her life changed. She joined a youth group in her area and received a loan for Ksh 5,000 to start a small business raising and selling goats. Wendy began earning between Ksh 8,000—14,000 per month with this business, and after a few months was able to move her family out of the slum into a better area of town. With the savings from their original goat-selling business, the family will begin keeping poultry as well as selling paraffin, hoping to earn at least Ksh 18,000 per month.

In addition to the businesses, Wendy has now received support from OAIC—Kenya Chapter to attend university for a degree in Community Development. When representatives from OAIC-KE visited her recently, Wendy said, “I am very happy now that my family lives better and I provide them with all they need just as my parents used to do. I am a chairlady of all the working groups in the Kisauni Constituency. I want to provide the groups with a role model, especially to girls heading households, just to let them know and assure them that they can make it just as I am making it. Thanks to OAIC-KE God knows how much me and my family are happy for what you have done in our lives.”