my Janet’s story
I was listening to this lady today, her story made me realise how blessed I am, wait it is blessed spoilt, ok, her story made me feel something.
Janet came to Nairobi two years ago out of no option, no option because she was married before and now she was not, it was not out of choice that she wasn’t. She met her husband when she was a teen, they like everyone else in the village did not think much about contraceptive or even abstinence before marriage. Before long, she was pregnant and was chased away from home, lucky for her, she was not in school and so she could move in with her boyfriend who was still living in his parent’s compound. After she delivered, a baby girl, she convinced her cum-we-stay husband to pay dowry and follow the custom of her people when it comes to marriage. He did. Part of it.
They stayed together for another year and she conceived again, 9 months later she had her second baby a boy. This made the family of the husband start recognising her as part of the family, but not in all situations. When they had a family meeting, she was expected to leave the room until the meeting was over. She did not know but neither did her husband. With two children up her sleeve and a husband who had a somewhat decent job and a good piece of land that was handed down to him by his parents, Janet felt secure in her marriage. She could afford all the three meals for her family and her barn was full at least had enough to carry her through the planting time and to the next harvest. In fact, she had enough to give a neighbour or two who needed a boost with food in between harvests.
Not long after, she conceived and gave birth to her last born boy, Baraka who is slightly over three years now. The other two have learnt how to cope but Baraka is still too dependent on his mother. Cope means, they can talk and ask for help from strangers especially food. How come she is not in Nairobi considering she had two sons for her husband and had a stable life up-country?
Well, soon after Baraka was born, he husband fell sick overnight and in two days he died. From her explanation it sounded like meningitis, but according to her in-laws, she had bewitched her husband. After the funeral, it was apparent that she was not needed in that family. She tried fighting but she was reminded that they never paid dowry in full and so she was not part of the family. They also expressed fully that the boys belonged to the husband and she could keep her girl and consolation to her killing her husband. With that made very clear, she was told she could stay in her husband’s house for a month and after that she was to leave without carrying anything.
Janet tried going back to her home but since she had ben banished for getting pregnant before she got married, her family was unwelcoming and that is how she ended up in Nairobi. With a bag of clothes and her three children who she had to sneak out with in the dark least the in-laws refused with the boys, she pleaded with a lorry drive to give her a lift to Nairobi.
The streets have been their home since then. Does she want to get out of the streets? Hell yes. Is she doing anything about it? She got someone to buy her credit to sell and she hopes to sell enough to make her house rent and just little basics in the slum before she moves.
What Janet story do you know? What can we do about it?