My Fighting Chance

It is not easy to fight, but it's even harder to fight alone. When I was six years, I was abused more than once. I was used by an older woman as an object of pleasure. I didn't know it was wrong. I didn't even know what was happening.

One year later, we moved out to live in Nairobi, and I forgot everything. As I grew up, i enjoyed learning sexual reproductive health and rights. That’s when I remembered that was once a victim of sexual abuse. No one in my family knew what happened and I was you scared to tell.

I would cry alone and ask why. I blamed myself because deep down I knew it happened because I let it happen, it was all my fault. I didn’t know how to erase it from my head, so I started doing drugs. I became an addict and a slave to drugs. I had no one to run to, not even my shadow. My only comfort was drugs and a reckless life at the age of sixteen. By the time I was about to finish high school, I got pregnant. I didn’t know that my baby would be my escape and salvation.

I had no time to cry or wonder. All I would do is look after her and work hard for her. After giving birth I was determined to go back to school. I did so and got a job. I am able to support myself and I now know that I am not to blame for whatever happened to me. I’m a warrior fighting for myself and other young ladies that would have been in my position, or have been through the same. I now can now fight my past using my present. I have a fighting chance and I will be strong.