When Tumaini was still a young girl, both of her parents passed away. Her uncle took her in, and for a moment, she believed her life might finally find stability. But that hope quickly faded. Her uncle’s wife resented her presence and treated her with cruelty. “She used to tell me I was just an orphan,” Tumaini recalls. “I felt unwanted and unloved every day.” Even simple things—like watching TV—would earn her insults or result in her being told to leave.
Then came the darkest chapter of her life. Tumaini became a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her own uncle. Terrified and unsure of whom to trust, she kept silent. But after being tricked and raped, she found the courage to speak up and report what had happened. The police opened a case, and though her uncle fled, Tumaini had taken a brave first step toward justice.
A social welfare officer rescued her and placed her in an orphanage for protection. But the centre was close to both her home and school—too near to the people and memories she was trying to escape. Recognising the danger, a social worker reached out to Kijana Kwanza, and soon after, Tumaini was brought to Moshi to start afresh. She joined the Pre-Form 1 Programme, marking the beginning of her healing and transformation. Upon completing the programme, Tumaini was selected for full sponsorship at Kijana Kwanza, where she began a stable and hopeful path focused on education, safety, and rebuilding her confidence without the fear and stress of her former home.
“At Kijana Kwanza, I found a new family,” she says softly. “The staff welcomed me with love and care. For the first time, I felt like I truly belonged.” Through counselling, education, and the kindness of those around her, Tumaini began to rebuild her confidence. She learned to speak in public, discovered leadership and life skills, and began to dream again. “I received school sponsorship, food, shelter, and the freedom to be a child,” she says. “Slowly, I started to heal.”
Today, Tumaini is thriving. She is a Form 3, Division 1 student at Chemchem Secondary School and serves as the Welfare Prefect—a role that fills her with pride. Her teachers describe her as hardworking, kind, and a role model to others.
Her dream now is to become a social worker. “I want to help vulnerable children like me,” she says with confidence. “I want to be a voice for those who are afraid to speak. I want to show girls that being brave can change your life.”
Looking back, Tumaini knows her path could have ended very differently. “Without Kijana Kwanza, I might have ended up on the streets, hungry and alone,” she admits. “But they became the light in my darkness. They gave me a second chance—a family and a future. I will be forever grateful.”
“Kijana Kwanza is more than just a programme,” she says. “It’s a safe home, a place of transformation. It saved my life and gave me hope when I had none.”
(This is a sensitive situation. Names and certain details have been changed to protect the child’s anonymity.)
