At 4:00am, before Kibera is fully awake, Claudia is already up and prepared to face the day. Despite the hardships she has faced as a teenage mother, she refuses to let her circumstances define her future.
Like many young mothers, Claudia dropped out of school during her pregnancy. Her parents divorced around the same time, and she had no hope of going back to school because her mother didn’t have a stable income to cover school fees. She planned on looking for odd jobs to support her coming baby.
Claudia was out of school for two years after giving birth to her child. “I imagined how my former classmates would look at me,” she shared. “I felt I had messed up my future and disappointed my family.”
Then a friend connected her to CFK Africa’s Funzo Project, which supports teenage mothers in resuming their education, and she was able to re-enroll at Mbagathi Secondary School in Kibera.
“I do not allow my circumstances to define me or my future,” Claudia says. “I am now working hard and smart in school and scoring good grades.”
She starts her mornings early to study in peace before preparing her child for the day ahead. By 5:30am, she is ready and prepared for the 20-minute walk to school through Kibera. Her mother drops her baby at the Coffee Ministry Daycare, one of CFK Africa’s partnering daycare centers in Kibera, as early as 7:00am.
By 6:00am, Claudia is at her desk to complete her homework since she cannot do it at home with her obligations as a young mother. Her favorite subjects are Mathematics and Sciences, and she spends extra time going over numbers, equations, and logistics. While school starts at 8:00am, her learning begins long before the bell rings.
“During school days, my mother takes care of my child, taking her to school, and encouraging me to work hard.”
Though her fellow students go home at 5:30pm, Claudia stays at school to study for another hour without the distractions at home. She is truly dedicated to her studies.
As part of the Funzo Project, Claudia also participates in safe spaces, a supportive environment where she can learn, grow, and process her challenges with other young mothers and trusted mentors. “Through these mentorship opportunities, I feel empowered,” she shared.
She also receives healthcare support from CFK Africa facilities, with regular visits to the Youth Friendly Services Center, where she receives accessible healthcare tailored for young people. Whenever she needs medical attention or psychosocial support, the center is there to help. Her baby also receives care at CFK Africa’s Tabitha Medical Clinic.
“I am bold, confident, empowered, and resilient courtesy of the mentorship from the Funzo Project,” she says. “I am now in school working hard and smart to achieve my goal.”