Christine

Christine’s Story

Christine’s parents separated when she was just a child leaving her and three siblings in their mother’s care. Her mother, who initially relied on her husband, became a casual farm worker to feed her children. It was hard, physical labor for very little pay that the family was barely surviving on. When her mother remarried a few years later, her new husband already had nine children of his own from a previous marriage. While the family grew bigger, the income was stretched thinner.

Like many families during Covid, Christine’s family was enduring starvation which led to sharing a home with extended family. One day, her uncle attacked her mother, who had recently had a C-section, causing her to fall and become severely injured. As the eldest child, Christine forfeited online classes to take care of her mother and look after the little ones at home.

Despite it all, Christine studied three times as hard to make up for the time lost. When she scored high on the national exam, qualifying her for college, there was no way she could afford to pay her fees. Her stepfather was generous and wanted to help, but he could barely support the family.

Without GLOW, Christine would have been forced to give up on education and get married to help support her family and the education of her younger siblings.Now, she is pursuing a degree in Oral Health at Mount Kenya University to promote dental hygiene and help people gain confidence through their dental health.