Written by Cynthia Mukuria, CFK Africa Community Storyteller
Every morning in Rongai, Kajiado, young mothers arrive at a daycare center carrying two things: their children and the hope that they can continue with school.
Some come in uniform, already rushing to make it to school before the first lesson begins. Others arrive tired from waking up early to prepare their child for the day, before preparing themselves. They hand over their babies, pause for a moment for goodbyes, and then walk to class. For many of them, this routine is the reason they are still students.
Teenage motherhood changes daily life in ways people do not always see. A girl may still want to finish school, sit for exams, and build a different future for herself and her child, but wanting it is not always enough. Once a baby comes, every school day depends on one question: who will care for the child?
For some young mothers, the only option is to leave the baby in the care of a younger sibling who should also be in school. Others depend on neighbors who may not always be available. Some miss lessons when the child is unwell. Others stay home during exams or slowly stop attending altogether because there is no safe, reliable place to leave their child.
In Rongai, this challenge kept coming up in our conversations with teenage mothers. The girls were not saying they had given up on school – they were saying they needed a way to keep going. CFK listened.
A community daycare grew from these conversations, established in partnership with CFK.
Today, the daycare cares for 24 children below the age of five, supported by three caregivers. Inside, the children play, eat, nap, and settle into a routine with people who know them by name. It is a simple setup, but for teenage mothers in CFK’s Funzo Project, it carries deep meaning. It means they can sit in class without wondering whether their child is hungry, crying, unsafe, or being moved from one house to another.
It also changes how the girls see themselves.
In many slum communities, teenage motherhood comes with shame, isolation, and the feeling that life has already been decided for you. Many girls return to school carrying more than books. They carry the fear of being judged, the exhaustion of caregiving, and the pressure to prove that they still belong. Having a safe place for their children does not erase all of that, but it does give them additional encouragement to keep showing up.
During a recent daycare center visit, CFK’s nutrition team conducted growth screenings for the children, checking height, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference. This brings another layer of reassurance for the young mothers – their children receive holistic support for their healthy growth and development. For a girl who may be carrying many worries, the comfort of knowing that someone is looking out for any concerns about her child’s health makes a big difference.
What stands out in Rongai is not just the presence of a daycare; it is what the daycare makes possible.
It allows girls to remain in school and keep learning alongside their peers. It allows a teenage mother to imagine a future where motherhood is part of her story, not the end of it.
This is the strength of locally led solutions. They begin with listening. They respond to what people say they need, not what outsiders assume will help.
CFK’s role has been to walk alongside that process, helping connect care, learning, and health in a way that fits girls’ actual lives. For many young mothers in Rongai, childcare is the difference between disappearing from school and remaining visible in their own future. And every morning they return, child in one hand and school bag in the other, they are doing more than attending class.
They are choosing to continue.
***In honor of our 25th anniversary in 2026, this story is #10 of 25 Stories of Change, shared throughout the year and featuring youth and communities whose lives have been transformed by CFK Africa.