Technology, green skills help teen mums in Kibera rebuild lives

“I wanted to terminate it but my sister encouraged me to keep it,” she says.

“At first, I cried whenever I shared my story. Now, in the group, I laugh, I feel lighter.”

Her laughter, like many others at Awoche Foundation’s teen mums’ circle, is the sound of healing.

For Beryl and many girls in Kibera, early pregnancy brought a halt to education, rejection at home and financial hardship.

The stigma surrounding teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence often leaves them isolated and vulnerable.

According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (2022), 15 per cent of girls aged 15–19 in Kenya have already been pregnant, with the highest rates in informal settlements and rural counties.

In Kibera, poverty and overcrowding magnify the risks.

A 2022 study by the African Population and Health Research Centre found that 44 per cent of adolescents in Nairobi’s informal settlements reported mental health challenges in the past year, but only 11 per cent accessed professional support.

At Makina Clinic, nurse Eliakim Juma has seen the toll of sexual and gender-based violence firsthand.

“The most common issues among teen mothers are both physical and psychological,” he says.

“We see unplanned pregnancies, infections, malnutrition, but the mental scars run deeper.”

Post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression are common, and the stigma that follows often drives survivors further into isolation.

Through Awoche Foundation, Beryl has trained in baking and beauty.

She also uses the Tiko app, which connects young women to doctors, contraceptives and counselling. “It makes me feel supported,” she says.

Technology is quietly redefining what support looks like for young mothers in Kibera. Through the Tiko app, girls earn “miles” when they access reproductive health services, such as HIV testing, contraception or counselling.

Those miles can be redeemed for sanitary pads, baby supplies or books. The app also connects users to doctors, counsellors and safe clinics, bridging the isolation that stigma often creates.

According to Awoche Foundation, there are 90 mobilisers, girls and women aged 18 and above using the Tiko app to reach others in the community.

Stella Atieno from Makina during an interview with the Star at Awoche offices, Kibra

STIGMA ANTIDOTE

Stella Atieno, 23, from Makina, got her child at 18 years, and life was not easy.

She could hustle by doing laundry for people, but due to some of the detergents she used, her fingers got partially burnt.

"At Awoche, I have learnt baking and beauty. That kept me busy because at some point, I almost died by suicide but my child gave me hope," she says.

"As a mobiliser at Awoche, the Tiko app has really helped me, and I can use it freely without being stigmatised."

At Makina Clinic, nurse Juma points to helplines and WhatsApp groups that now provide confidential advice.

The girls use a helpline, 0800721022, and also communicate in their WhatsApp group.

“Some girls use coded emojis when they can’t speak openly. These tools have literally saved lives.”

Jacinta from Kibra, Bombolulu, during an interview with the Star at Awoche offices, Kibra 

For Jacinta, 19, from Bombolulu, that silence was heavy.

“Everyone rejected me. But I went back to school and finished Form 4. My child motivates me,” she says softly.

At Awoche Foundation, Jacinta found counselling and vocational training in hairdressing and baking. But childcare costs remain a hurdle.

“I once got a job but daycare took everything. At least with Tiko miles, I can redeem diapers and essentials,” she says. “My aunt doesn’t see me as a burden anymore.”

Like Beryl, Jacinta represents a growing number of young women using digital platforms to access healthcare and regain control of their lives.

For some, survival has turned into advocacy. 

FIGHT FOR RIGHTS

Halima, now 16, was raped by a relative’s friend. Silenced by shame, she later found refuge through counselling at Makina Clinic.

Now she volunteers as a peer mentor, helping others seek care.

“She turned her trauma into strength,” nurse Juma says.

These stories mirror a national pattern. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that 42 per cent of adolescents have experienced some form of gender-based violence.

Yet reporting remains low, particularly in informal settlements where trust in institutions is fragile.

In Kibera, Awoche Foundation is redefining empowerment by tying it to sustainability.

 Iddah Akoth, programmes coordinator at the foundation/HANDOUT

“Periods don’t wait for donations,” says Iddah Akoth, programmes coordinator at the foundation.

“Reusable pads are cost-friendly, safe and environmentally sustainable. They also give girls income.”

Her team trains teen mothers to make reusable sanitary pads, which not only reduce waste but also tackle period poverty and blocked drains caused by disposable pads.

In a community where plastic waste and poor sanitation are chronic problems, these small solutions are transformative. By producing and using reusable pads, the girls of Kibera are turning a personal need into an environmental act.

They also train in soap-making, baking and braiding, skills that combine hygiene promotion with economic independence.

“Twelve out of 15 girls who trained in baking have started small businesses,” Iddah says.

“They’re not just earning, they’re rebuilding their confidence.”

Rita from Katwekera during an interview with the Star at Awoche offices, Kibra 

AUTHORITIES INVOLVED

Local authorities are noticing. Kibera senior assistant chief Asia Ramadhan works closely with peer educators and NGOs to strengthen these efforts.

“We engage parents through schools and Chief’s Barazas,” she says.

“The community is slowly embracing the fight against SGBV, but stigma still silences many.”

Her office also promotes safe waste disposal and sanitation awareness, linking social justice to environmental health. Kenya’s adolescent birth rate dropped slightly from 18 per cent in 2014 to 15 per cent in 2022, but the decline is slower in informal settlements.

For many of these young women, the gap between policy and practice remains wide.

Yet, the direction is hopeful. Through digital connection, peer-led advocacy and sustainable livelihoods, survivors are rewriting their own futures.

“I try to talk to them because I don’t want what happened to me to happen to them,” says Stella, 23, now a mobiliser with the Tiko app.

“Study first. Life is hard. Men lie and leave you with pregnancies. Parents should love their daughters, not reject them.” What is unfolding in Kibera is not just social change, it is technological and ecological transformation from the ground up.

Teen mothers once pushed to the margins are now building digital literacy, sustainable businesses and environmental awareness in one of the world’s most challenging urban landscapes.

By combining technology with green innovation, they are showing what Kenya’s twin transition can truly mean: empowerment that heals both people and the planet.

From silence to strength, their voices are rising, demanding dignity, justice and a future that is smarter, fairer and greener.